Little Bird, Dark Shadow
by Happy Jinxmas
Summary: Talon nodded to her, eyes darkening. He leaned forward, a ghost of a kiss on her cheek. "We will see each other again, Little Bird." Then he was gone.
1. Chapter 1

**As requested by ShioriAkasuna. I have begun a QuinnxTalon story.**

Quinn sighed. "Valor, you flew off again, didn't you," she said out loud to nobody in particular. Well, she'd just have to find him and give the bird a good scolding. Quinn held her breath for a moment, cocking her head to the side. A faint caw was heard in the distance. Definitely Valor. Quinn smirked. "Not so smart, are you, Valor?" She raced off to the forest, dodging crooked branches and falling pinecones.

Quinn stalked through the bushes to a large clearing. She saw a blue feather settle on the grass in front of her. "Valor, you're not very good at hiding if you keep shedding feathers," she said casually, looking up. "Oh!"

Her eyes narrowed on the dark figure that her companion had settled on. "Talon."

The assassin smirked, stepping forward. "Quinn," he said. "Your bird decided to land on me here. You should have better control over him."

Quinn retorted, "Well, 'the bird' has a name. It's Valor. And he is a living being, I cannot just cage him in my rooms and not let him out!" Talon rolled his eyes. "Just take your bird back, Little Bird."

Quinn bit her lip angrily at the nickname. She stiffly walked forward and held out her arm. "Valor, to me!"

The eagle cawed and hopped from Talon's shoulder to Quinn's. Talon nodded to her, eyes darkening. He leaned forward, a ghost of a kiss on her cheek. "We will see each other again, Little Bird."

Then he was gone.

* * *

"Quinn!"

The ranger snapped her head up. "Your majesty!"

King Jarvan III looked at her. "I have a mission for you, Quinn. You are to infiltrate Noxus and find out anything you can about the du Couteau's. Luxanna Crownguard has been in Noxus for a while, you may meet her and work together to find information. You are to leave tomorrow."

Quinn nodded. A mission to infiltrate Noxus? This was an honor, surely. "Right away, your majesty. It is an honor to serve you in such a way."

Quinn got up from her knee and bowed. Quickly she left the chamber, and hurried to her rooms. She would see Lux again! Hopefully. Quinn had not seen the blonde mage in quite some time. Lux had not told her that she was in Noxus!

She began to pack her things, making sure that she had enough arrows in her quiver and her crossbow was in top shape. Stealth was not very much her thing, but she knew how to blend in.

It was dark outside. Quinn checked the time. 9:45. She should get as much sleep as she could. Quinn took a quick shower, relishing the warm water washing away the dirt and grime on her sticky skin. She pulled on a tank top and underwear. "Ah," she mumbled, sinking into her large, soft bed. Tomorrow was a big day. And she wasn't about to ruin it.

At dawn, Quinn was up and ready, on the edge of the border and about to go into Noxus. She took one last look at Demacia, her pride and her home. The ranger took a deep breath and turned around, walking forward, and did not look back.

Quinn turned up her nose. Noxus' scent was disgusting. She'd have to get used to it if she wanted to look normal here, though. The ranger looked around, wondering if she could find Lux. It wouldn't be easy, surely. Quinn would have to-

"Quinn?" A low female whisper in her ear jolted the ranger out of her thoughts. Quinn whipped around. Was her cover this easily blown? Her panicked face melted into relief, however, when she saw that it was Lux! "Lux!"

"What are you doing here?" The mage asked. She was wearing a black short dress, and her hair was dyed brown, the ranger noticed. Quinn replied, "His Majesty sent for me to infiltrate Noxus. He told me you were here, too. But why didn't you tell me?"

Lux bit her lip. "Do you have a place to stay?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject. Quinn shook her head. "I just got here," she explained. Lux nodded. "I will help you find somewhere to stay."

Quinn cocked her head. "Why can't I stay where you're staying?"

Lux froze. "Um," she stuttered. The Lady of Luminosity was never the best at lying. Quinn crossed her arms over her chest. "Lux..."

Lux gritted her teeth. "Fine, you can come to where I stay."

The mage led Quinn to a large mansion on a hill. "This...is where I stay."

Quinn gaped. "Lux, I thought you were infiltrating Noxus! Not living in a luxury like this!" Lux shook her head. "No matter. Come in." She opened the large, wooden carved doors. "Lux, how did you get to stay in such a place?" Quinn admired the lights and glossy walls, but narrowed down on a deadly looking axe on the side.

"Have a seat," Lux gestured to a plush chair on the side. "I'll be right back." The mage hurried away. Quinn narrowed her eyes. As soon as Lux turned her back, the ranger stood up and discreetly followed her. Lux swept up the stairs, to much in a hurry to see Quinn. Lux opened a large, brass door and went inside, immediately closing the door behind her.

Quinn pressed her ear against the cold door, straining to hear.

"I found Quinn today," Lux said. A strangely familiar, gruff voice replied, "What? Is she here?"

"Yes," Lux said hesitantly. The other voice: "Does she know I am here?" "No, dear, she doesn't."

"If she finds out about...us...you will be exiled. I don't have the power to protect you."

"I know. But can she stay?"

"Fine."

Quinn leaped back, and raced down the stairs, and jumped onto the plush chair she was supposed to stay in. Lux walked back a few seconds later, and Quinn's heart was thumping, but she kept as calm as she could.

"C'mon, Quinn," Lux smiled, but it seemed a little forced. "You can stay in one of the guest rooms."

Quinn hesitantly followed the mage, up the same stairs and past the brass door, down to an insignificant door. But inside was nicer than Quinn would ever think. "Lux," she said, turning to the girl, "What is going on here?"

Lux frowned. "What do you mean?"

Quinn rested a hand on her hip. "Don't play stupid with me, Lux. I know you."

The mage bit her lip. "That's what I was afraid of."

Quinn sighed. "Lux, I followed you to that door. Who is in there? Are you having an...affair with a Noxian?"

Lux said nothing. "So you followed me."

Quinn nodded. "I'm worried, Lux, what have you been doing in Noxus?"

Lux winced. "You're right about what you just said, but I'm not-can't tell you who it is."

"Why?" Quinn asked. Lux replied, not looking at her, "Because I would be exiled from Demacia."

"You'd be exiled either way if you told me or not, as long as I know you're with that..that man!" Quinn said exasperatedly. Lux still shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, I can't." She bit her lip. "Well, I'll ask."

"Do you have to ask for everything?" Quinn inquired. Lux's lips twitched up. "No, but I like to be safe." She slipped out of Quinn's room, and made her way to the large brass door. Quinn quickly followed her, pressing her ear to the door. She felt guilty for doing this, but she wanted to know who the man was.

"-Please! You can come during dinner, she won't tell, I promise!" It was Lux. Then the man. "How do you know she won't tell? Demacians aren't easy to trust when it comes to Noxians."

"What does that make me?" Lux sounded hurt. The man quickly amended his mistake. "You're an acception."

Quinn heard them kissing and she clenched her fists, turning away. What was Lux thinking? Suddenly she heard, "I will see her at dinner," the man lamented. "But you must make her swear she will not tell a soul."

"Of course," Lux whispered. Quinn's eyes widened and she raced to her room at the end of the hallway. Lux appeared at her door soon after. "He will see you at dinner," Lux said quietly. Quinn nodded, acting surprised. "Oh! Oh, of course."

"I'll show you around." Lux grabbed Quinn's hand, smiling. "It's really nice here, actually." She began to talk animatedly, but Quinn only half listened. Who could the man be? It obviously wasn't Draven. It couldn't be Talon, was it? No, he lived with the other du Couteau's.

So who was it? She was sure she'd heard that voice before. But where? And when? "Quinn?" Quinn looked up. Lux was looking at her worriedly. "Are you okay? I was asking if you had to go to the bathroom."

"Oh. No, I'm good." Quinn said. Lux shrugged. "Okay. I'll finish the tour tomorrow, dinner is in half an hour."

Half an hour until she could see the mystery man who had taken Lux's heart.

Quinn took her time cleaning herself in the lavishing bathroom, sinking into the bubbles in the bath. When was the last time she was able to relax in a bath? Looking at the clock, she realized she only had ten minutes to get ready. "Oh!"

She hastily slipped into the only nice things she had brought-black leggings and a clean, light red blouse. She gently closed her hand around the diamond bird necklace around her neck-her last gift from Caleb and her family. She took a deep breath and walked outside her room, where a servant was waiting. "Lady Quinn, I presume?" The woman was around her sixty's, Quinn estimated. "Just Quinn is fine," Quinn said. The woman smiled, and said, "Let's get you down to dinner, then, Quinn."

The servant led Quinn to the dining room, a large, circular place with a huge rectangular table in the center with eight chairs. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling directly on top of the table. Lux was already sitting at the table. "Quinn!" She gestured for the ranger to sit across from her. Quinn sat down, staring at the table. "Um," she mumbled, "Am I supposed to know all my etiquette?"

Lux giggled. "No, it's fine. He's coming in a few minutes," she said, talking about the man who Quinn felt like she knew but didn't know. Quinn nodded slowly. "Okay. By the way, have you gotten any information about the du Couteau's?"

Lux shook her head. "No, I haven't," she said. "But I've heard Talon hasn't been in Noxus for a while." Quinn winced. "Yeah, I saw him yesterday, actually," she said awkwardly. "Valor found him, to be more precise."

Lux frowned. "That's not good if Talon is around Demacia." "He didn't seem to be doing anything, though," Quinn said thoughtfully. Lux stood up. "He's here," she whispered to Quinn under her breath. Quinn snapped her head up. Lux was looking behind her.

Quinn turned around and saw Darius, the Hand of Noxus, walk through the entrance.

Her jaw dropped. She quickly shut it, and turned around. Lux looked slightly uncomfortable but moved forward to Darius, gesturing for him to sit down next to her. He obliged, but stared at Quinn, as if daring her to object. "I see you found out about Lux living here," he said roughly. Quinn nodded, slightly intimidated by the large man. "You must not tell anyone," he said, voice lowering but menacing.

Lux pulled on his arm, "Darius, please, don't scare her." Darius relaxed back into his chair. "I'm not."

Quinn was still tense, and Lux cleared her throat, "Well, let's eat dinner, shall we?"

Darius grunted. "'Bout time." Lux affectionately patted his hand. "You're always hungry."


	2. Chapter 2

**Headcannon: Lux is smooth at lying, but she cannot lie to her loved ones.**

 **Chapter 2**

The dinner was more tense than Quinn had anticipated. All was silent except for the clink of silverware against plates and bowls. Occasionally Lux would make a quiet comment about how the day had been going or what she was going to do the next day. Eventually she brought up the fact why Quinn was in Noxus.

"You are here to get information, yes?" The lady of luminosity asked. Quinn nodded hesitantly. "D-Demacia plans to take advantage of what information I return with to win a battle with Noxus."

Darius looked up, his spoon clattering onto the wooden table. "You think I will let that happen?" He asked, slowly. Quinn returned his glare with much less ferocity. "How have you hidden the fact that Lux is here? Is she blatantly lying about everything she has told Demacia?"

Lux shook her head. "I tell the truth," she said. "But the information is close to useless because Darius knows what Demacia is planning, or that the information is not enough to do anything."

Quinn's eyes hardened. "You really are a traitor, Lux," she said coldly. "You swore your loyalty to Demacia, yet here you are."

"Do not speak to Luxanna that way," Darius interrupted, his voice slowly building. Quinn scoffed, too angry to even feel her fear any longer. " _Luxanna,_ " she mocked. "What has gotten to you, Lux? How much controversy will this cause? What will your brother think of this?"

"Quinn, please," Lux pleaded. "Stop. My brother has told me he is in near alliance with Katarina, the Sinister Blade. He does not want any more bloodshed than I do."

"Yet you are going to cause more death by being affiliated with Darius." Quinn retorted. Her heart wrenched slightly at the sight of Lux's watery blue eyes, but this was dangerous.

"This is enough," Darius snarled in cold fury. "Return to your room. You will not stay here if you speak dirt on Luxanna again." He wrapped his arm around Lux's shoulders and turned away, gently walking her to the master bedroom, wherever it was.

Quinn clenched her fists. "I am going to find information at the Du Couteau house tomorrow," she spoke fiercely to their backs.

* * *

The ranger threw herself on the plush bed in a rage of confusion. How could Lux do this? _Then again, you aren't much better, not trying to arrest Talon when I saw him. I let him go, and he was right there with Valor, no less!_ Quinn's fingers clenched against the white sheets, her knuckles turning pearly white.

She shut her eyes tightly and buried her face in the fluffy white pillows. _Tomorrow will be better. If I see Talon again, he won't escape so easily._

...

Quinn left the manor as quickly as she could at dawn, making sure she wasn't spotted. Lux and Darius wouldn't be awake at this time, she reasoned. Quinn held her arm to her face as she tried not to breathe in the stinky fumes of Noxus. It wasn't long before she found a market, going to the first person she saw.

"I am on official business," she told the scraggly woman, "I need to know where the Du Couteau manor is."

"T'ha, that's funny," the woman cackled. "It's that way," she pointed west. "T'd be a miracle if you came back alive, child."

Quinn ignored the shivers that jolted down her back. "Thank you," she said stiffly. The woman eyed her up and down. "You're not from around here, are you, girl."

Quinn looked at her, startled. What gave her away? "We don't thank people who lead them to their deaths," the old woman explained. "Nor are we this polite. Work on your Noxian side, child."

"Y-yes. Tha-I mean, ok." Quinn fumbled over her words. She turned away quickly and began her march towards the Du Couteau manor.

...

Quinn looked up at the huge mansion in awe, momentarily forgetting why she was there. Shaking her head, Quinn walked forward, darting behind the trees on the side. _They mustn't see me,_ she thought, examining the security all around. Creeping from tree to tree, Quinn tried her best to be stealthy. _If only Valor was here,_ she inwardly groaned. _He would be so much help now._

Unfortunately, Quinn's best friend had to stay back in Demacia. If he was noticed in Noxus, her cover would be blown. "Really wish he was here though..." She muttered out loud.

"And that's mistake number three."

Quinn whirled around, searching for the rough voice. A purple cloaked man stepped out from the brush. "Haven't I told you?" He smirked. "You're terrible at stealth."

"Talon," the ranger trained her crossbow at the assassin. He held up his hands mockingly. "Oh, don't shoot yet, Little Bird. We _are_ on the lands of the Du Couteau, if you recall."

"Wouldn't be able to hit you anyway," Quinn gritted her teeth grudgingly. Talon chuckled. "True, true."

"Now what?" Quinn asked, slightly lowering her bow. Talon smiled, and suddenly, he was behind her, blade at her neck. "Mistake number four," he whispered against her ear, sending fuzzy jolts down her spine. "Y-you bastard!" She growled. His lips were right against her neck, causing Quinn's breath to quicken.

"Come with me quietly, and you'll make it without any...injuries." He threatened. Quinn knew she had no choice, relaxing her muscles as a sign of defeat. Talon wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly began pulling her out of the forest.

"Let's go, Little Bird."

He led her past the security, though there were some suspicious glances here and there. Quinn kept her eyes trained on the ground, following her feet in front of Talon's. "Where are you taking me?" She asked as they entered the manor. Talon pulled away and grabbed her wrists, pulling them behind her. "Where I stay." Was all he said.

Why was he taking her to his rooms and not the General or Katarina?

But she did not fight as he marched her up the stairs, down the corridor and towards a large, polished wooden door. "Get in," Talon opened the door, shoving her inside. Quinn stumbled but quickly regained her balance, inspecting her surroundings. It was rather normal, she noticed.

Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary. A large mahogany work desk with a paper and quill sitting atop it, accompanied by a plush chair. A queen sized bed. A closet door on the side, and a very, very dangerous looking array of blades arranged all over the right wall.

That last one was a bit out of the ordinary.

Talon gestured for her to sit on the bed. "I won't take you to Katarina until you prove that you have useful information."

Quinn rolled her eyes. That was all? "Fine," she said, huffing, "Make it quick."

Talon narrowed his sienna eyes on her golden ones, debating whether she was serious or mocking him. "I don't take kind to sarcasm, Little Bird."

"I have a name, as you know very well," Quinn retorted. Talon smiled, infuriating the scout. "I just prefer not to use it," he replied smoothly. "Why are you so cocky?" The words tumbled out of her mouth. She clapped her hands over her lips, but it was too late. Talon was silent as he stalked up to her, sitting next to her on the bed.

He wrapped a muscular arm around her neck, blade outstretched. "Because I have all the power now," he whispered. Quinn bit her lip and lowered her hands to her lap. Talon removed his arm. "You know it's true."

Quinn averted her eyes, but her body said it all. Talon smiled, satisfied.

"Now," he said. "You-"

"Talon," a female voice called from the door. "Who are you talking to?"

Quinn barely had time to comprehend what was happening before Talon grabbed her face roughly and pressed his lips on hers as a red haired woman walked through the doorway.

The scout groaned in surprise and, she will would never admit it, slightly out of pleasure. For a moment she forgot who she was kissing until he pulled away, turning to look at the redhead who was standing in front of them. "Katarina," he said stiffly. She smirked. "Finally come to your senses about finding someone, eh? You're a lucky first lady," she winked at Quinn. "Well, carry on."

Katarina turned away and Talon turned back to Quinn, his eyes clearly saying, _Just go with it._ She gulped and nodded slightly. Talon pressed kisses against her neck, his hands sliding up her waist. She shivered.

Katarina shut the door and her footsteps faded. Quinn sat stock still and Talon pulled away.

"Why did you-"

"Let me-"

Both of them stopped. Quinn spoke again. "Why did you do that? That was my-my first." She trembled slightly. Talon averted his eyes. "Touche," he growled, slightly embarrassed. "That was the only way that wouldn't get Katarina suspicious. Now get over it."

Quinn opened and closed her mouth. "Oh," she mumbled. She hadn't known it was both their first kiss.

"I'm going to have a change of plans," the assassin said abruptly. "Katarina knows what you look like. I can't turn you to her if you prove useful." He flicked the blade in his hand, sending it flying towards the wall. "You have two options."

Quinn tensed.

"Die by my blade," he smirked, "Or...become my personal maid."

"What!" She yelped. "No. Never!"

"It's the only way if you don't want Katarina to find out," he shrugged, smugly. "Unless you want to die."

Quinn gritted her teeth. If she became a 'maid', she'd never return to Demacia. But she could escape, and if she was killed, that wasn't an option. Besides, she could learn useful information.

"Fine," she growled. Talon smiled. "Good girl. If you're going to be my maid you cook for me, clean, and make sure my blades don't get dirty."

Quinn clenched her fists but nodded. "Where do I start?"

"Let's get something to eat," Talon instructed. "I'll show you where the kitchen is. Then bring it back here."

"Yes, Talon," she said hollowly.

 **If some of you are thinking the ending is kind of like Prisoner of War, a Lux/Darius fan fiction, I don't blame you. But only this part is similar. I'm going original for the rest of the story :p**


	3. Chapter 3

**My good friend C. Geng has started a Pantheon and Leona fan fiction. Check it out! It's called The Sun and The Spear.**

 **Chapter 3**

Quinn hurried up the stairs back to Talon's room with a platter of simple yet hopefully delicious food in hand. She shut the door behind her quietly and saw Talon sitting at his desk, fingering his blades.

Her eyes shifted to the bed, where a pile of clothes lay waiting for her. Quinn hesitated before approaching the man, gently setting the food on the table before asking, "You want me to wear different clothes? What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"Too obvious," he replied, beginning to eat. She sighed and picked up the garments, examining them. It was a dark blue crop top with black leggings. "I guess it's not too bad," she muttered, walking off to the bathroom.

Changing, she came back to find that Talon had left a portion of his meal for her. She was slightly surprised, but awkwardly nodded her thanks before sliding into the now empty chair. She felt the assassin's eyes burn into her head as she ate. His eyes bore into her for, tension building between them with every passing moment.

"S-stop staring at me!" She finally growled. He chuckled to himself and turned away, sitting on the bed.

Finally finished with eating, Quinn she placed down the utensils.

"Well, now what?"

Talon sighed. "Get clean," he said. "And go to sleep."

Quinn shrugged. She headed to the bathroom, stripping her clothes and turned on the faucet. She stepped into the tub, feeling the warm water trickle over her hair and sighed in relief. Steam began to collect on the walls and mirror, warming the room.

But even as she stood in the bliss of the warm water that ran over her skin, her mind eventually always drifted back to her situation. _God,_ how would she ever get out of this and return to Demacia? Unconsciously, she scrubbed furiously at her skin until it was red and raw, as if it would do away with all of her problems. As if.

Shutting off the water, Quinn stepped out and wrung her hair out with a nearby towel. She grabbed her clothes and quickly dressed, twisting her medium length hair on her head and wrapping it with the towel.

"You women take forever," Talon grumbled as he stalked into the bathroom as soon as she got out. She put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm sorry that I want to be clean," she said sarcastically. He said nothing in response.

She suddenly wondered if he didn't like sarcasm. _Don't be ridiculous_ , she scolded herself. _Why are you concerned that he doesn't like something? Silly girl_.

For a while she dawdled around not sure what to do. She fumbled around the man's desk, noticing that the papers were in complete disarray. Annoyed, she began to organize, not thinking twice as she stacked the papers. Taking note of the dates, she placed the documents one by one on each other, oldest to newest. She left the newest sheet in the exact center of the desk. Quinn moved the inkwell and feather to the right corner and stood back, admiring her work.

"Didn't know you would work so diligently without me telling you."

Quinn began speaking without realizing who she was talking to. "You can be so messy. Do you know how much easier it will be now that everything is clean and in a specific spot? I think-" she stopped. "Oh, I didn't realize-I'm sorry."

Talon waved his hand dismissively. "It'll be your job to clean my desk every once in a while, then, if it bothers you that much. Now, I thought about it, and I decided I'm going to let you have one hour a day to wander around outside. But if you don't come back," he growled, crushing Quinn's sprouting ideas, "I will hunt your Valor down and kill him. He'll be a nice present to send to Demacia, won't he? Got it, Little Bird?"

Quinn swallowed. "Yes."

"Now get some sleep," he chuckled, as if he had never made a single threat. Quinn fidgeted slightly. "Er, where am I going to sleep?"

Talon turned to look at her. "The right side of the bed, of course," he said, as if it was obvious. "The bed is big enough. I don't roll around in sleep."

"O-oh," Quinn blushed at the thought. "Okay."

She slipped under the crisp white covers hesitantly, scooting to the side of the bed until she was literally hanging off the edge. The scout glimpsed Talon undressing and burrowed her face in her pillow. She squeaked as he got into bed, nearly falling off.

"You can move closer," Talon's voice vibrated in Quinn's bones. "You're going to fall off."

"No shit, Sherlock," Quinn mumbled, but didn't move. She gasped as Talon muttered something before grasping her slim wrist and pulling her to the middle of the bed. The scout shivered at the closeness of another human man who wasn't...Caleb. After the incident, Quinn had always found solace in cuddling with Valor.

Sometimes she didn't understand humans. Even if she was one herself.

"Uhm, good night, Talon," she whispered hesitantly. She hear a grunt and she smiled slightly, closing her eyes.

...

A while later, Quinn cracked open her eyes, holding her breath and waiting to see if Talon was awake. She bit her lip and raised herself on her elbows, sliding out of bed as quietly as possible. She headed to the desk that she had organized hours ago, pulling out a worn, thick notebook.

Sitting down in the chair, she gently took the feather in her hand and began to write.

 _Dear Caleb,_

 _Today was the probably the worst and best days of my life. I was trusted by the king to come to Noxus and find information undetected. And what did I do? Get caught. I'm the worst scout there is. But don't worry, brother, I'm fine. Turns out the ruthless Talon isn't as heartless as a thought. He reminds me of you, Caleb, in a way. Just a little bit. He has that same part you had inside of you I always, and still, admire. Apparently, Lux has also been here, making herself at home with that Darius. Okay, maybe I am a bit bitter. I should apologize to her tomorrow, shouldn't I? Oh, I miss Valor. I miss Valor and you, Caleb. One day I'll see you again. I promise. Don't I always keep them? I feel so at home, here. Why am I thinking these thoughts? You're one of the only things keeping me sane right now. I love you._

 _Quinn~_

The scout brushed back tears as she closed her journal. Trudging quietly back to the bed, Quinn stared at Talon's sleeping figure for a moment. He looked so at peace as the moonlit filtered through the window and caressed his face, accenting the angles and curves on his face with delicacy.

She shook her head, tousling her purplish hair. She slipped back into bed, the sheets embracing her as she fell asleep.

 _A cold feeling curled around Quinn's throat._

 _Her eyes flashed open. The moisture in the air clung to her skin. The scout's golden eyes spotted a figure in front of her._

 _"Quinn," the deep voice of King Jarvan III resonated through a damp cavern. "I believe I trusted you on this mission. I thought I chose well. But it seems that my choice was wrong." He looked disgusted and terrifying in the dark cave with only torches illuminating it. Shadows danced among the walls and off of the King's armor, making him seem as if he was more of a phantom than a human._

 _"King Jarvan…" Quinn whispered. Where the hell was she? This wasn't Talon's home. The cold hand around her neck grew tighter. "I didn't give away any secrets, I swear! Demacia is safe-"_

 _"You are a fool!" Jarvan III bellowed, slamming his fist on the wall, sending the shadows trembling. "You have failed us, Quinn. You see, what is around your throat right now is an outlawed way of being tortured. But I figured I could pull some strings for you."_

 _His smile looked ghastly in the torchlight. He turned away, calling to the guards. "Make sure she doesn't escape and be sure she is dead when I return."_

 _Quinn gasped, "Please, no!"_

 _The cold fist squeezed tighter, tighter..._

 _Her lungs trembled._

Can't...breathe...

 _The world began to swim._

 _There was nothing but black, her vision fading…_

 _"Wake up."_

 _"Wake up!"_

"Little Bird, wake up!"

Quinn's eyes flashed open and she gagged. Her skin was covered in slick sweat and she was face to face with Talon, whose hands were around her throat, trying to pry away her own hands.

"Were you trying to kill yourself!?" Talon growled. "There are easier ways."

Gaining her bearings around her, she looked around, reaffirming she was in Talon's room, not a dark cold cave. She was still somewhat shaken from the dream, but there was no way Quinn would let Talon to see her so vulnerable.

"Aw, is the scary assassin worried?" Quinn taunted, hiding the crying little girl inside, stuffing it away. Talon narrowed his eyes. "Get up," he said pulling her arm roughly. "You have much to do today."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks C. Geng for helping.**

 **Do I have to do disclaimers? Eh ok.**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own League of Legends, it belongs to Riot Games. I own nothing but the plot of this story._**

 **Chapter 4**

Quinn slid drowsily from the bed, combing her hair with her fingers roughly, attempting to rid herself of the bed head. "And what is so important that I have to do today?" She questioned the man in front of her.

"I have a job today," Talon said. "I know how much you hate my messiness," he smirked, "So you're going to clean my rooms while I'm gone. I want everything organized and cleaned when I get back."

The Demacian nodded. Anything to busy herself from thinking of that horrid nightmare. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"I'll be back by seven," he assured her, poking her forehead with his index finger, leaving the woman rubbing her forehead with an angry blush on her face. Then, he left without another glance. With a jolt, Quinn realized how leisurely their conversation had been. Almost as if they'd been living together for years.

She slapped herself lightly on the cheek, surveying the room. At one look, it seemed neat enough. But with Quinn's golden eyes, it was an absolute disaster.

"How does he manage living like this?" She asked out loud to nobody in particular. Pulling her hair back, Quinn stalked over to the first thing that caught her eye-the unmade bed. The scout grasped the ends of the sheets and pulled it to the head of the bed so that no wrinkles were seen. She fluffed the pillows and placed them in an orderly fashion. Just doing this made Quinn sigh in relief. At least, the largest thing in the room was clean.

As she pulled away, a darkly lit cave flashed in front of her and then vanished as quickly as it came, leaving her in a cold sweat.

 _No.  
_  
Next, she moved to the desk. Quinn groaned. It had been less than twenty four hours and Talon had already partially messed up the desk. The papers were yet again in a disarray, save for the inkwell and feather, which had somehow survived the massacre. Sighing, she began to organize them yet again, in date order.

"This man just never learns, does he," Quinn sighed. Men. Typical. Those words just match together quite well.

Glancing down, she noticed there was one lone drawer attached to the desk. "It wouldn't hurt to look...right?" She hesitantly placed her hand on the handle, tugging slightly. It barely budged.

Quinn bit her lip and pulled, hard. The drawer burst open, nearly falling off.

"Ah!" Quinn yelped, scrambling to retrieve the papers that were threatening to spill out. Taking a deep breath, she peeked at the glossy page that was pinched in her hand. It was a photo.

A redhead sat in a tree, with a brunette laying below her, a peculiar snake tail slithering out from her waist. Another boy with shoulder length hair sat beside the snake girl, who Quinn now identified as Cassiopeia, his arm wrapped protectively around his adoptive sister.

A warm feeling flared in the scout's chest. So Talon did care. For his siblings, at least. _He was also quite a looker back then_ , a rebellious portion of her mind butted in.

 _Euch!_ The younger, unmatured mind of Quinn retorted. _He's a boy. Gross!_ _  
_  
Quinn shook her head. All in all, she concluded, he was certainly much more caring than many people would think.

She picked up the next paper in the drawer. It was a simple piece of paper with slick, script writing.

 _Damnit. I spoke to Katarina again today, she questioned me about that Demacian girl. I don't know why I am writing this down, damnit. That girl is getting to me, with her journal writing. She woke up in the night. She wrote in her journal. Went back to sleep. Damnit. Why am I letting her live? The excuse I told her isn't true and she knows it as well. There's something about her. The innocence. I want to strangle someone and kill him slowly. Why not kill her? Damn, this hellish world. All I've done is kill, without a second thought. What is wrong with me? Katarina told me we are going to go to Demacia in about a day for a negotiation. How am I going to tell the girl? Ever since Katarina told me about her relationship with that Crownguard, shit has been real. I have to take the girl with me. She won't have it, if I force her to stay. But then she will return to Demacia and not come back with me._

 _Why do I care?_

 _Why?_

Quinn nearly dropped the paper as she finished. He cared? "Oh, he's just a big softie, isn't he?" She whispered. Her cheeks felt warm and Quinn stood up abruptly, realizing that they were going to return to Demacia.

"I'm going to go back!"

 _But then she will return to Demacia and not come back with me._

Quinn faltered. "Oh, this crap is getting to my head," she groaned. "First, I need to finish cleaning."

...

Quinn had barely sat her bottom on the worn wooden chair when the door opened. She jumped, glancing at the door. "I'm back," Talon said, as if his entrance hadn't signaled that already.

 _Why do I care?_

Why?

The words rang in Quinn's head as she looked at him. "Uh, I-I cleaned up everything, made everything organized and neat."

Talon nodded wordlessly. "Listen," he said, "Go out. Come back in an hour. I need to...think."

Hastily the woman nodded and bustled out of the room, but before she shut the door, Talon stopped her. "It's cold outside," he said gruffly, handing her a red scarf. Quinn smiled and him and took it, wrapping it around her neck and inhaling the spicy smell lingering on the fabric.

"Thanks," she mumbled before shutting the door.

Minutes later, Quinn was standing shivering in front of the Lord Darius's home. She was suddenly grateful for the scarf around her neck, protecting her from the harsh winds that slapped at her skin. The large wooden door creaked open and an elderly woman stood behind it.

"Ah, Lady Quinn!" She said, smiling. It was the woman who had shown her to the dining room, Quinn remembered. "Hello, ah, miss..."

"Call me Krystina," the woman chuckled. Quinn smiled, relaxing, and stepped inside. "Krystina is a beautiful name," Quinn commented. The old woman laughed. "Yes, it's not very common now, is it? It is from an ancient language called Greek, and it means anointed. Ah, forget my chatter, I must fetch Miss Luxanna. She's been panicking about you."

Krystina disappeared around the corner, soon replaced by a frantic Lady of Luminosity. Her dyed brown hair was now streaked with her natural blonde hair. "Quinn! Oh, I'm so so so sorry! Are you okay? Are you-"

Quinn pulled the woman into a hug, shutting her mouth. "I'm fine," the scout clucked, "But it seems you haven't been taking care of yourself. What has Darius been doing?"

"Oh," Lux mumbled, "He tried to get me to tidy up and eat, but I refused. He managed to get me to eat a bit, but I was too worried about you!"

Quinn inwardly sighed in relief. So Darius cared enough about her well-being. Alright.

"I, er, got caught by Talon," Quinn explained awkwardly to her friend. "I'm his maid right now, and he was kind enough to give me an hour out here."

"Oh!" Lux raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, as long as he treats you right...but is he abusive?" The woman glanced at Quinn up and down, checking for injuries. Quinn snorted.

"Barely touched me. Listen, Lux, I found out that Talon and Katarina are going to Demacia for negotiations. I'm going with them. Is there anything I should know?"

Lux tilted her head to the side. "No, I don't think so. Tell my brother I said hello, and that he needn't worry. Tell him I love him, will you?"

"Of course."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Quinn waved one last farewell to Lux as she left the manor, feeling the cold air breeze across her flesh. She clung to red scarf Talon had lent her and began her way back.

As she walked, the scout went over multiple scenarios on how Talon might tell her they were going to Demacia. _If_ they were going to Demacia, that is.

She ground her teeth. "I _am_ going to Demacia, whether that bastard lets me or not."

Lost in her thoughts, the cold embracing Quinn had faded, until she reached the Du Couteau manor. Her fingers were clammy and her legs shook piteously. "I'm useless," she muttered to herself, marching to the door and knocking.

Talon's lean frame blocked the door as it opened. "You're late," he growled. "You've been out for more than two hours, Little Bird."

Quinn blinked. She hadn't realized she was gone for so long. "Um, my bad."

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her in, dragging her to his rooms. For a few moments they stood in his room in tense silence. Quinn felt her heartbeat increasing.

 _Thump. Thump. Thumpthump. Thumpthumpthump._

"We're leaving tomorrow." Talon finally said. Quinn forced some surprise on her face, though some of it was genuine. She was startled that he was going to tell her so bluntly. "W-where?" She forced herself to keep her tone light and curious.

"We're going to Demacia with Katarina. There is going to be a negotiation at the Crownguard's," Talon said. Quinn gasped, no longer containing her excitement. "When do we leave?"

"When I wake you up. Go shower at get some sleep, we leave early," Talon instructed. Quinn immediately obliged, rushing to the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. "Oh, my god," she mumbled shakily, stepping into the shower.

She'd need so overcome with happiness she hadn't thought about what kind of punishment she would receive when she returned.

She remembered the nightmare she had the first night she had gotten captured. The ghastly shadows on the walls flashed at the edges of her vision. _No._

The hot water had begun scalding her skin. Quinn flinched, shutting the water off, and gently rubbed herself off with the fluffy white towel hanging on a bar attached to the wall. She noticed a small razor on the table, reaching towards it but stopped short as someone knocked on the door.

"Er, what is it?" She asked. "Come in," she added, securing the towel over her chest. Her hair was a mess, dripping all over the floor, but she opened the door anyway. Talon stood in the doorway. He paused, looking at her wet hair, her red face, and her... _assets._

"I left something here," he said bluntly, brushing past her, ignoring the slight awkwardness and tension that had begun to build in his chest. He grabbed the razor Quinn had noticed before and slipped out of the room. "Sorry," he added quietly before closing the door.

Quinn blinked. The assassin of Noxus didn't _apologize._ Maybe she was hearing things. _Or, maybe he's taken a liking to you,_ Quinn unconsciously thought. "Gah!" She mumbled, pulling another towel off the bar and wringing it around her hair. She quickly dressed, stepping out into the bedroom.

She sat gingerly on her side of the bed, rustling her hair in the towel, trying to ignore Talon's stare. "Do you have any suggestions about the fastest way to get to Demacia?" He asked acidly. Quinn pondered for a moment. "I know a way through a forest that will cut half a day off the journey," she said. "But we won't be able to sleep at inns, so we'll have to camp out."

Talon waved away her concern. "That's not a problem. You sure you know where it goes?"

Quinn crossed her arms. "Are you _doubting_ me, Blade's Shadow?"

Talon said nothing. "Go to sleep," he growled, "And don't wake up in the middle of the night to write in your little journal."

Quinn flushed but nodded and slid beneath the covers, this time not edging towards the end of the bed, but boldly laying near the middle. Rolling over, she realized Talon and been stripping to his shorts and she squeaked, turning beet red, slamming her face into her pillow.

"What, never seen a man before?" Talon snorted, but his tone was not unkind. Quinn shook her head, her face still buried in her pillow. "Not...a grown man outside the family," her voice was muffled by the pillow but decipherable. "Just...warn me next time."

Talon said nothing, but raised the covers and gently shoved her, "Move over a little." She obliged, biting her lip and raising her face from the pillow. "Oh!" She saw his lean, uncovered chest, and turned away, facing the wall. "You're very squeamish when it comes to men," Talon noted.

Quinn huffed. "Well, my only companion at most times is Valor."

"He's a _bird,_ " Talon said.

"But he's a bird that I can trust with my life."

Talon fell silent. _Hah, that got you,_ Quinn thought. But she bit her lip, wondering momentarily if he had anyone to trust. His family was composed of the deadliest Noxian assassins and a serpentine temptress. Not the most loving family.

"Do you love your family?" Quinn asked quietly, her lips dry. Talon said nothing, but said, "Isn't that what family is supposed to do?"

"A man of few words, I see," the scout joked weakly. She was silent after that. The silence was not uncomfortable, thought. Quinn felt somewhat safe, in the blankets, sharing warmth with another human being. She began drifting off, a smile gracing her lips as she whispered, "Good night, Talon."

She could have sworn he had said "Good night, Little Bird" before she blacked out.

...

Quinn felt a rough hand shaking her shoulder. She had a surprisingly dreamless sleep. The scout groaned, cracking a sleep deprived eye open. She felt disoriented but adjusted to the pale lighting and recognized Talon, fully dressed, blades and all.

"Get up Little Bird," Talon said gruffly, "We're going to Demacia. And I don't want to keep Katarina waiting. She is _not_ a morning person."

"Well guess what, neither am I," Quinn snapped, strangely annoyed. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up, shaking her head, attempting to fix her hair with the least effort possible. A steaming mug was handed to her. "Katarina offered this," Talon said, "Coffee."

Quinn gratefully took the mug and sipped the scalding drink, relishing the energy it was giving her. She gulped down the rest, getting off the bed and straightening her clothes. "Alright, I'm good." She paused. "Where is my crossbow? And my arrows?" She glared the purple clad man accusingly. "Did you get rid of them?"

Talon shook his head. "They're right here," he said, dangling them in front of her face. Quinn narrowed her eyes and snatched her weapon and arrows, securing it onto her wrist and slinging her arrows onto her hip.

The assassin shouldered his heavy pack and led her downstairs, where a redhead clad in leather was waiting impatiently. "Katarina," Talon started. Katarina snorted, "Cut the crap, Talon. It's Kat. I see you've got your friend. You up?" She asked, not unkindly to Quinn, but with a slight edge.

The scout nodded becoming more awake by the minute.

"Great. Now, let's get to Demacia."


	6. Chapter 6

**I've been so lazy for the past month or so...whoops!**

 **Chapter 6**

The three departed immediately, leaving the Du Couteau manor at the crack of dawn. The cold air hit Quinn's face like a slap. "Ugh," she groaned. She turned to Talon, who was silently treading beside her. "We could have left later, you know," she complained. "With the shortcut, we could have left a few hours later."

Katarina raised an arched brow. "Really," she said skeptically. "Then, Talon, why did you insist we leave so early? I like my beauty sleep. And it takes me a while to get my face like this."

Talon narrowed his eyes. "Katarina, I swear, I will melt all of your red lipsticks."

Katarina gasped in mock fear. "Oh, my, dear brother, don't do that!" She snorted. "You won't find all of them, anyway," she smirked. Talon groaned. "Don't tell me you have a secret stash of lipstick, like your weird ass concealers."

Katarina glared at him. "You are treading on thin ice. I still haven't forgiven you for dumping most of my concealers in the garbage chute."

Quinn chuckled quietly. Who knew they were so laid back? Katarina winked at her. "So, who are you? It's a wonder Talon hasn't slit your throat yet."

The words sent shivers down her spine. The scout swallowed. "Talon," Quinn said slowly, "Does Katarina know of my origin?"

Talon sighed. "Just tell her. But, Kat, you can't tell anyone about this."

The redhead shrugged. "Can't be that bad, right?"

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Quinn of Demacia, the Wings of Demacia, at your service," she said, slightly serious but still mocking. Katarina stared at the girl. "Talon," she said, her voice rumbling, "Why did you house a Demacian in our manor?"

Talon said nothing. Clearly, Quinn needed to explain everything. She sighed. "I got caught," she said simply, "And Talon kept me to see if I had good information that was usable. Clearly, he got nothing out of me," she smirked. Katarina coughed, snickering.

Quinn's face grew red. "Not like that!" She mumbled. Talon still said nothing, irritating her. "Well?" She huffed. "Say something, Talon!"

"I have nothing to say," Talon replied. "This was the forest you spoke of?" He pointed to the dense greens to their left. Quinn nodded, glad to get off the topic they were currently talking about.

"Yes. But we have to go farther down the road, like, almost the whole days walk down the road in order to get on the path to Demacia."

Katarina sighed. "Then why did you say yes, when it clearly isn't where we're supposed to go?"

Quinn retorted easily, "Because it's the same forest, just farther down."

The redhead looked miffed, but said, "Well, then let's get going then."

* * *

It seemed like eternity before Quinn finally announced, "We go in the forest here."

Talon nodded, "Go scout ahead. It's what you do, isn't it?"

Quinn sighed, "Fine. I'll be back in about ten minutes."

...

The purple haired woman made her way into the dense forest, swatting away pesky insects. "Ah, here's the path," she mumbled, treading upon familiar ground. "Seems clear," she said aloud, "I guess I could go back."

"Oh, you look like a pretty little girl," a greasy voice sounded from the woods. Quinn narrowed her eyes, loading her crossbow. "Really now," she replied to the voice.

"You'd fetch a nice price," came the voice. Quinn whirled around and shot approximately where the voice had made its appearance. A grunt sounded, and Quinn knew she had hit something, at least scratched her stalker.

"Feisty, ain't she," another, rustier voice sounded. Quinn bit her lip. She was not trained very well in fighting multiple people, neither ones she could not see. "Come out where I can see you, you brutes," she said loudly.

"Eager to see our handsome faces," yet another voice. Quinn began to sweat. In the dense forest where she could barely see, the chances of her escaping unscathed were low.

Bulky figures began to melt out of the forest. Quinn counted at least eight men surrounding her. "Crap," she muttered. All her weaknesses were showing. Sight missing, outnumbered, close combat, and she was surrounded. She didn't even have Valor!

The tallest, largest man stepped forward. "You can come quietly, or we'll knock you out and you won't be awake until you meet your new owner."

Quinn snarled and shot an arrow at him and his disgusting, greasy hazel hair framing his scarred, oily face. It landed on his shoulder and drew blood. He hissed, his eyes growing darker by the second. "I suppose you aren't going out without a fight, eh?"

Quinn loaded her crossbow again and aimed directly at his skull. Just as she pulled the trigger, a fist came hurtling into her thigh, causing her to collapse into her knees, sending her arrow flying harmlessly into the woods.

She already felt a bruise coming. Angrily, Quinn whipped around and kneed the ginger brute in the groin. "I worked hard on keeping those thighs clean!" She roared. The man hissed and stumbled backwards awkwardly.

She got too angry, for some reason. She didn't notice two other men creeping up on her left and right, until they grabbed her forearms and held her up, like she was Jesus on the cross. "You're a troublesome gal, ain't ya," the leader chortled, yanking the arrow out of his shoulder.

"You're gonna have to pay for my shoulder," he said darkly, stepping forward until he was directly in front of her. Quinn glared at him, her muscles straining as she kicked angrily at him, but another man grabbed her legs and forced them still. "You never know when to stop, do ya?"

The leader grinned angrily, pulling out a sharp, dirty knife. "Maybe this'll get you ta stop."

Quinn barely had time to react before a searing, hot pain sliced itself across her abdomen. She screamed, but cut it off short, forcing herself silent. "Nobody out here to save you," the man laughed.

...

"It's been more than ten minutes," Katarina said impatiently. "Is she keen on the time?"

The sun had begun to set, and the red haired assassin was growing restless. Talon was suspicious. "She wouldn't escape," he said. "I made sure she wouldn't, and she is timely. There must be something in the forest."

"Well, it better know I don't like to be kept waiting," Katarina growled. Talon sighed. "I'll go in. If I don't come back in ten minutes, come find me."

"Ten minutes," Katarina emphasised.

Talon disappeared into the shadows. He slunk through the unfamiliar woods, listening for anything out of place. Yes. That was it. It was too quiet.

A scream shattered the silence, but was quickly cut short.

Quickly, Talon analyzed the pained scream. It was a tortured scream, obviously, and female. Quinn. A strange adrenaline rushed through his body as he ran towards the sound.

Quinn thrashed angrily, "Let me go!" She tried to ignore the bleeding injury on her abdomen, but the pain took over and she stiffened, and stopped fighting.

"Thought that'd stop ya," the brute laughed. "Now, let's get-"

A slim, clean knife landed with a thump on his chest. He stared at in shock before collapsing. "Who's there?" One of the men roared, enraged. A dark shadow leapt down and knives flew, landing on the exact mark they were meant to be at.

Quinn found herself in Talon's muscled arms. "Anyone move, and you all die," Talon threatened to the remaining men. Grumbling and muttering the men retreated into the forest. Quinn stared in horror at the bleeding bodies. "I-I..."

The assassin placed his hand over her mouth. "Don't talk," he said, eyeing her abdomen. "You're bleeding to death."

He began making his way out of the forest as fast as he could. The last thing Quinn remembered before she fell unconscious was his warm lips on her forehead.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Talon had never run so fast in his life. Dodging the scathing branches, he ran blindly until the branches and leaves stopped slapping at him. The assassin burst out of the woods with a limp body in his arms. He could still feel the warm blood sliding down his hands as Quinn bled.

Talon spotted his sister's red hair flying as she made her way to him. "What happened?" she hissed, taking a glance at the unconscious Demacian. "She was attacked," Talon growled, with a hint of sarcasm. Katarina rolled her eyes. "Obviously, but by who?"

"Nobody we know," Talon said quietly. "Just a group of men, nobody important. Most of them are dead anyway."

Katarina raised an eyebrow. Talon never killed unless ordered, or if it put him in danger. She looked back at Quinn. The brat must be pretty special if Talon killed for her. "Alright, let's get her cleaned up," Katarina gestured for Talon to follow.

The redhead led Talon to a calm, large lake surrounded by soft, waving green grass that she had explored while waiting for her brother to return with the scout.

Talon set the Demacian on the grass. "Take off her armor," Katarina instructed. The man didn't hesitate as he stripped the scout to her tight, dark blue shirt and leggings.

"Take off her shirt," Katarina deadpanned. Talon hesitated at the edge of the fabric. "Oh, you pervert," the red headed assassin grumbled. "Go get firewood."

Talon felt his face heating slightly as he stood up, hiding his face. He walked off, but couldn't resist taking a last look behind him. He glimpsed Quinn's toned, bleeding stomach before his sister's red hair filled his view. "Oh, come on, Talon, just leave!"

Talon whipped around and disappeared, mumbling something under his breath.

"Is he gone?" Quinn's voice was hoarse. Katarina turned to the purple haired woman. "You're awake?" She sounded surprised. "Don't talk, I'm going to clean your wound."

Quinn smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Katarina sighed. "You obviously mean something to my little brother if he didn't leave you to die. He looked like he'd been running pretty hard. He never does that."

The assassin gently moved the scout to the edge of the water. "I'm going to slide you into the water," she warned. "It might hurt."

Quinn said nothing as Katarina slowly slid her into the lake. The water was icy, but didn't bother Quinn. "It's gonna hit your wound," Katarina said, slowing down. Quinn sucked in a breath and let out a hiss as the redhead pushed her into the water. The cut on Quinn's stomach stung and throbbed. Blood stained the clear water, turning it murky and dark.

"Sorry but," Katarina said emotionlessly. "I'm gonna have to rub it in. At least it's not warm water."

Her cold hands gently rubbed at Quinn's wound. The scout flinched but didn't say a word or utter a sound. Katarina pulled Quinn out from the lake water. "Can you sit up?" Katarina asked as she pulled out a roll of gauze that she had brought. Quinn nodded, slowly sitting up. Katarina began wrapping the scratchy fabrics tightly around the Demacian's abdomen.

"It's bleeding pretty badly," Katarina noted as dark red streaks began to stain the bandage. Quinn shrugged. "All I want now is a shower," she mumbled, glancing down at her grimy hands. "You wearing something under there?" Katarina nodded towards Quinn's leggings. The injured woman blushed. "Yes."

"I'll wash them, and your shirt. And your armor." It wasn't a question. Quinn smiled awkwardly in thanks as she painfully slid down the sticky leggings.

"Is everything you own blue and purple?" Katarina raised an eyebrow, looking at Quinn's dark blue bra and purple underwear. "What?" Quinn frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I like the colors."

"Typical," Katarina sighed. She stalked over the cold water and knelt down, dipping the fabrics in the water and rubbing roughly. "What did you mean by 'you obviously mean something to my little brother if he didn't leave you to die'?" Quinn asked suddenly.

Katarina twisted her head to look at Quinn. "Well, under normal circumstances, had you been someone else, he probably would've let you die and we would've continued our journey no problem. But you, however, as much as I can't see it, are special, for some reason."

Quinn frowned. "Okay," she said slowly.

Katarina wrung out the dark blue shirt and leggings and began scrubbing the armor roughly with her calloused hands. "Talon might come back sometime soon," she said nonchalantly. "Your clothes aren't going to be dry by then, so get used to walking around in a bra and underwear."

Quinn flushed. "I-It's fine."

As if on cue, the purple cloaked man appeared from the woods with a large bundle of logs in his arms. He blinked for a moment as he took in the sight of a nearly naked Quinn and his sister washing clothes like a maid.

"This is interesting to see," he smirked. Quinn's face turned an impressive shade of scarlet. Katarina paused from her scrubbing and turned to look at her brother. "Start a fire, will you? Then I can dry the bird girl's clothes so you don't keep staring at her like a pervert."

"Bird girl?" Quinn's complaints were ignored as the redhead turned back to her washing and Talon started to arrange the logs on the soft grass.

"Ah, who's going to find something to eat?" Quinn finally asked, breaking the silence, realizing that the sun was slowly beginning to set.

A flame burst from the wood and grew larger by the second as Talon tended to it. He look at her, careful to only glance at her face. "You're not going out there like that, are you?" He gestured to her 'outfit'.

Quinn blushed. "Fine, you go find something then," she huffed.

Minutes later, the three sat around the warm fire, eating a small deer for dinner.

Quinn nibbled on the tender meat, glancing longingly at her clothes, which were still drying by the fire. Katarina noticed and smirked. "They're not dry yet," the redhead said. "Maybe a few more minutes."

Quinn sighed. It was uncomfortable, sitting on the grass with nothing but undergarments. Especially with two fully clothed Noxians near her. "Nobody's going to do anything to you," Talon finally said, smirking. "I wouldn't even want to touch you."

Quinn's ears grew red. "I wouldn't expect that you know what a good body looks like," she snapped. "No woman has probably come near you and stayed with you long enough for you to know first-hand."

Katarina snickered. "Oh, she got you there, Talon."

"Shut up," Talon snarled. Quinn suddenly laughed. It was a sweet, low, short laugh, but nonetheless, an enjoyable sound to the male assassin. Not that he would tell anybody.

"You're kind of silly," the scout admitted quietly to her considered rival. Talon raised an eyebrow. "Silly?"

Katarina snorted. "You say that again and I'll pay you if Talon doesn't kill you."

Quinn smirked. " _Si-lly_. You're kind of silly, Talon."

The male assassin growled lowly. "Don't call me that again, Little Bird."

Quinn bit her lip angrily at the name. "Don't call me that."

"Then don't call me silly," came the reply. Quinn pouted. "No."

"Fine, then." Talon smirked, "Little Bird."

"Fine!"

Katarina watched the scene in front of her, amused. She looked up at the dark sky, glimpsing the moon. It glowed brightly.

"Full moon," she said. "Should be easier to keep watch. Let's crash."

Both assassins pulled out their sleeping bags. Quinn said, "So..."

"You're sharing with my brother," Katarina said before Talon could open his mouth. Quinn flushed. "Are my clothes dry yet?"

Truthfully, they were, but as Katarina gathered the clothes and armor she smirked. "No, sorry, you're going to have to sleep like that."

Talon glared angrily at his sister. "Tch," he muttered. "Get in."

Quinn carefully slid into the soft bag. She smushed herself to the side of the fabric. "I don't need that much room,"Talon's baritone voice reverberated in her skull. Quinn relaxed slightly, turning around to face him. He was looking at her skeptically.

Quinn stared back at him defiantly for a few moments. "Oh, just get in the bag, Talon," Katarina called from a little farther away. The redhead was sitting comfortably in the grass. "I'll take first watch."

Talon said nothing but began unclasping his cloak. It fell with a satisfying thud. His hidden knives clinked against each other. Underneath he wore a tight black shirt with dark blue pants. He slipped into the bag beside her. The air instantly became warmer as his body heat mingled with Quinn's. His back was turned to her, and she was completely fine with that.

She closed her eyes and felt herself lulling into sleep and her breathing began to slow and even out.

"Talon," Katarina said quietly. Quinn's ears perked up, but she didn't move or change her breathing pattern.

Talon didn't respond to his sister.

"Talon, I know how you feel about the brat."

"How do I feel?" he finally responded. Katarina replied forcefully, "You know what I mean, Talon."

 _What does she mean?_ Quinn thought, troubled.

"No, I don't." Talon said flatly.

"Talon," Katarina hissed. "I know you feel for her."

Silence. Quinn's heart pounded and she struggled to keep her breathing even.

"If you want this to work out with Quinn, you need to tell her how you feel."

There was a pause.

"Or you will die before you get the courage to tell the girl."

Katarina said no more as Talon turned in the sleeping bag, facing Quinn. The scout's breathing quivered as she felt Talon's breath on her face.

"I'd die before I told her. Demacians are not to have contact with Noxians," he rumbled. Quinn felt a calloused hand brush her face, causing her hair to fall in layers across her nose.

"You wouldn't want do that, Talon," his sister warned. "You will regret it."

 **Thank you to the wonderful Miss Yaoi Hands for giving me some advice. :) And as always, thank you C. Geng for editing!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Quinn arose to a warm, muscular chest pressed to her face. She blinked. Not completely awake, the scout pushed her face deeper into the warmth, mumbling something incoherent.

"Quinn."

The woman groaned and mumbled, "I's too erly."

A rough hand held up her face at the chin. Quinn squinted as the bright rays dug into her eyelids, pouting. She wrapped her arms around the person that had spoken to her and stuck like a cat on curtains. "Mmmmf..."

"That's it." The male voice who had spoken earlier shifted, causing Quinn to mewl and latch on harder. The man stood, his arms wrapping underneath her bottom. "Quinn, wake up."

"I'm not a morning person," Quinn moaned, "Let me sleeeeep."

Silence.

Suddenly, the human half of the Wings of Demacia screamed like a little child. The purple haired woman stood drenched, sputtering in the cold lake water. Her bandages across her abdomen were dripping. "Why," she groaned. "That was so comfortable..."

Talon raised an eyebrow. He was standing, undeterred, in the shallow water beside her. "You mean, latching onto me like a cat was comfortable?"

Quinn's ears turned red. "You mean that was you? Oh."

Katarina, who was seated comfortably on her sleeping bag, snickered. "Way to get a man, brat."

Quinn narrowed her eyes at the redhead. "Oh, shut up."

"Feisty," the assassin grinned. "Here, eat, we're leaving soon." Katarina tossed a piece of leftover deer meat from the night before. Quinn gratefully dug in, ignoring her wet, cold hands, suddenly realizing how hungry she actually was. Talon sloshed through the water until he was directly behind her, and reached out to touch her back.

"Hands off!" Quinn growled, twisting her head to glare at the man. Talon scoffed. "I'm changing your bandages, relax, Little Bird."

Quinn huffed and returned to her meat, savoring the flavor as Talon unwrapped the wet bandages from her abdomen. She finished scarfing down her breakfast and glanced down at her now exposed wound. It was crusted and red, but was beginning to scab over.

Talon poked the tender skin, and she flinched. "It's healing better than I thought," he mused, pulling out fresh gauze. He wrapped it tightly around her wound, tying it off tightly.

Katarina started to pack up camp, covering the still warm embers of the fire with dirt and rolling up the sleeping bags. "You guys done over there?"

Quinn nodded, leaning down and splashing her face with the clear water. She stared at her rippling reflection, suddenly remembering the entire conversation she had eavesdropped on the night before.

 _You'll die before you get the courage to tell the girl._

The scout looked up at the towering man next to her. He seemed so stony, unemotional. But if what Katarina had said last night was true...

"Let's go, Little Bird," Talon said, grabbing her wrist to hurry her along. Quinn looked at his calloused hand grasping her wrist, and followed him to the green grass, stumbling slightly. "Get dressed."

Quinn obliged, thankful to have her clothes and armor again. It gave her a slight sense of security.

Katarina was waiting impatiently by the wood's entrance by the time Talon and Quinn had caught up to her. "Lead the way, girl," Katarina gestured to the green trees behind her. Quinn nodded and she wordlessly disappeared into the trees, with the Noxians following close behind.

"There shouldn't be anyone in the woods now," Quinn said quietly. Talon kept close to the scout's right side, teasing, "If you get caught by the big bad men again, I'll be sure to save you, Little Bird."

Quinn sniffed and didn't say anything as they continued on through the trail.

"How long will it take us to get through here?" Katarina broke the silence that had been building. Quinn frowned, pausing for a moment. "It should only take us until the sun sets, if we don't take any breaks. We might though, and so it might take us until the next morning to get us out of here."

Talon sighed. "And here I already thought the journey was long."

Quinn poked the assassin's chest playfully. "Well, you're going to have to deal with it, Mister Impatient."

Katarina silently watched the exchange. _Oh, Talon, what have you gotten yourself into?_

The scout noticed that the redhead was staring, and quickly widened the distance between herself and Talon. "We should keep going then," Quinn said awkwardly, starting forward again.

Talon followed behind the girl, like a shadow. Katarina stood a moment longer, her brow furrowed, before continuing after the two. "You'd better get yourself out of this hellhole of a mess, little brother," she muttered.

...

The sun was beginning to set, and the leaves of the trees grew a shade darker as the sun faded away. The trio traveled until it was completely dark and there were only the sounds of crickets.

"We're almost out of here," Quinn said, slightly exhausted. "Do you want to keep going and find an inn near the woods, or camp out?"

"I say we get out of here," Talon said, swatting away a fly. "I will leave you two here if you don't agree."

"The inn it is, then," Quinn sighed. Katarina shrugged. "Yeah."

...

"What brings you young'uns here so late in the night?" A jolly, warm voice greeted the exhausted, tired trio. A plump man with a curling, graying beard appeared from behind the counter.

"Ah, could we have three rooms please, sir?" Quinn asked politely, but couldn't block out the sleepiness in her voice. The innkeeper furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, dear, but it seems that I only have one room with a queen bed with a single. You don't mind sharing one room, do you? There's still space for each of you to get your own spot on a bed."

Quinn smiled. "Of course we wouldn't mind," she said sweetly, jabbing her heeled boot onto Talon's toes harshly before he could object. "How much for a night?"

"Just twelve silver coins," the man said warmly. "I've given a little discount because you all look so weary, travelers. Besides, you'll only be staying half a night, technically."

Katarina nodded her head, "Thank you."

The innkeeper merely laughed heartily and tossed the redhead the key to the room. "Room 21, last door on the right down the left hallway."

Quinn thanked the keeper again before leading the two Noxians to their room for the night. She shut the door gently behind her after everyone stepped into the cozy, dark room.

Katarina flicked on the lights, which revealed a queen sized bed covered in silky white sheets and fluffy white pillows. A few feet away stood a lonely twin sized bed with the same white sheets and pillows.

"Who gets which bed?" Quinn asked, flopping onto the bigger bed. "I call this one."

Katarina rolled her eyes at the childishness of the scout. "I'm suppose I'll be _mature_ and take the smaller bed. Which means, Talon, you're sharing with the bird girl again."

Talon sighed, but moved onto the other side of the bed, poking Quinn's shoulder. "We should take quick showers," he said. "You reek, Little Bird."

Quinn snorted. "You think I care?"

"You should," he shrugged. Katarina let out a breath. "I'm going to get clean first. Don't do anything weird while I'm gone," she smirked as she closed the door behind her to the connected washroom. Talon could feel his ears turning red, slightly from anger but mostly from embarrassment.

Quinn hadn't said anything, but sat up from her lazy position and pulled off her helmet. "You can take that off, you know," she said casually, gesturing to the assassin's knife heavy cloak. Talon smirked. "Scared I'm going to hurt you, Little Bird?"

The scout narrowed her eyes. "In your dreams."

"I might do that," he grinned. Quinn growled, "Now you're just making fun of me."

"Who said I was?" The assassin asked innocently, unclasping his cloak and letting it fall heavily to the floor. "There, happy?"

"In a way," Quinn smirked. "I call the next shower. Unless, you want me to follow the ladies' first rule."

"Yeah, yeah-" Talon paused. "Did you just indirectly call me a lady?"

Quinn smiled innocently, "Maybe," she answered. Talon's eyes flashed as he grinned. "I'll show you what this lady can do," he threatened teasingly. He poked at her sides and the scout giggled. "S-stop! I'm ticklish, Talon!"

"That's even better," he replied, feathering his fingers down her legs and back up to her waist. Quinn began to squirm and giggle louder. "S-stop-or else!" She was cut off again by a fit of giggles pushing at her throat.

"My, little brother, the last time I saw you do this was to Cassie when she was younger. She always said you were the master of tickles. You still are now, aren't you? So tough and scary," Katarina snorted from the bathroom door. Talon immediately withdrew from the scout, straightening his face from any sign of emotion.

The female assassin's red hair was tied up and still wet, a towel tied around her chest down. Quinn hopped up from the bed, still fighting her small giggles. "My turn," she said, rushing to the washroom and shutting the door behind her.

"So, Tickle Master," Katarina laughed, "I see you're taking a liking to her."

Talon glared at his sister. "Sure."

The smile on Katarina's lips straightened. "Remember what I told you, little brother."

...

The moon still glowed brightly from the small window. Talon stared at the ceiling, not yet asleep. He could hear the soft breathing of his sister to the side a little farther away.

Right beside him, though, was an angel itself. Quinn's large eyes were closed shut, her dark purple hair splayed out all around her pillow. Her lips were slightly chapped and the widened slightly every time she exhaled.

The assassin watched her chest rise and fall slowly.

 _You'll die before you get the courage to tell the girl._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Quinn sighed, letting out a warm, content breath. It was comfortable, with almost all of the bed to herself-

Wait.

Quinn blinked, but squeaked and immediately shut them as the burning light pierced her eyes. "Ew, the light," she groaned. A gentle finger poked her forehead. "Get up, Little Bird, stop being lazy. I know you like your sleep, but you need to get up."

Quinn moaned and reached out randomly, her hand landing on a firm, toned chest. She pushed weakly, as if to get Talon away from her. "Just five more minutes," she pleaded sleepily. "We'll reach Demacia today either way."

Thick arms wrapped around the scout's curvy frame and pulled her up. "Katarina's going to get mad. She went out to get breakfast."

Quinn sighed, finally relenting and cracking open her eyelids. "Fine."

...

The trio were outside once more. Quinn was still irritated and tired, but nonetheless continued forward without complaining. Well, sort of. She dragged her feet and forced her other companions to slow down slightly for her.

"If you don't walk normally right now, I'm going to knock you out and carry you," Talon growled, the scout's irate personality catching onto him. Quinn shrugged halfheartedly, ignoring him. "I'd like to see you try."

His eyes narrowed as he tensed threateningly.

"Alright, you lovebirds, shut up and just walk. We're reaching Demacia today either way," Katarina called from a few meters away. "No point in dawdling."

Quinn blinked, suddenly taking in the information that the redhead had said. They were reaching Demacia today! She could finally return without an assassin constantly on her back. It hadn't actually been that bad...

Stop. You will be happy to be back in Demacia, Quinn scolded herself. "How much longer?" She asked nonchalantly. Katarina snorted. "You're the Demacian scout here, you tell me."

Quinn flushed in embarrassment as Talon snickered. She shot him a glare that was clearly ineffective. "Well," she paused, fully taking in her surroundings, "We should reach Demacia's gates in a few hours, actually."

She was slightly surprised that they had made they journey so quickly. Normally it would take her a whole lot longer. "Well, let's get a move on," Katarina said. "I'm in a desperate need of a real, comfortable room to myself."

"How do you know you will be taken care of so well?" Quinn asked. Katarina flipped her smooth locks. "Common courtesy. And, I'll make sure Crownguard gets me a good place to stay."

"Like his pants," Talon mumbled under his breath. Katarina whirled around to face him, green eyes flashing bloody murder. "What was that?" she asked sweetly. Talon grinned at his sister. "Nothing."

Quinn raised her eyebrow at the male assassin's crude joke. "Were you joking, or has that actually happened?" She bit her lip, trying not to burst into laughter at the end of the question.

Talon smirked. "I don't know, ask big sister over there."

Katarina glowered at him. "I will break your face."

Quinn smiled. "This is a very touching conversation," she teased, "But I'd like to get back to Demacia as quickly as possible."

Talon looked at her, "Speaking of Demacia, where is that bird of yours?"

"Valor?" The scout was surprised. She didn't know that Talon even would try to remember that she had a companion. "Oh, I left him back in Demacia," she said sheepishly. "I thought I wouldn't need him. I was sure I'd be back quickly from my scouting."

"Seems like you were wrong," Talon chuckled. Quinn slapped his arm, "Shut up."

Katarina blew strands of long red hair from her face. "Are you even trying to walk anymore?" She sighed. "Hurry up before I make you." The end of her sentence did not sound friendly at all.

Quinn quickened her pace and caught up with the redhead. Talon continued to stroll leisurely behind the two women. "We'll get there eventually," he said carelessly. "There's no due date, is there?"

...

Quinn sighed in relief as she saw the golden gates. "We're here," she said. The scout looked up at the blue, cloudless sky and smiled. Whistling a sweet tune, she held out her right arm and a dark shadow swooped through the sky.

An elegant blue eagle landed on her extended appendage, sending out a plume of soft feathers. "Valor," Quinn cooed, kissing his beak and ruffling his feathers. "Did you miss me? I missed you. I'm so sorry I left you back here."

Valor squawked and turned his sharp glare to the two Noxians. Quinn hushed the bird gently, "They're with me, they won't hurt anyone...right?" She turned her round, golden eyes on the duo assassins. Katarina dropped her two knives that had appeared in her hands. "Of course not," she smirked.

"Not worth my time," Talon replied. Quinn rolled her eyes and said, "C'mon, let's go." She felt much more confident with Valor by her side.

"Miss Quinn," a guard smiled at her as she neared the entrance. "And Valor, of course. What are those two doing with you here?" He glanced at them, slightly suspicious.

"Oh, they're here for a negotiation with Captain Crownguard. I've travelled with them, they won't hurt anyone," Quinn said lightly, flashing a smile at the guard. He shrugged. "Alright, if it's with Captain Crownguard."

Within the next few steps, Quinn was back home.

"Well!" She said brightly. Valor lifted into the air, staying a few meters above them, casting a slightly intimidating shadow around the three. "Would you like me to take you to the Crownguards'?"

Katarina rested a hand on her hip. "Obviously. My feet are killing me. And, I need a change of clothes. So do you, by the way," she sniffed at the scout. Quinn shrugged. "Yeah, probably. I'm going to go back to my place for two minutes to change."

Valor's claws found themselves around the scout's shoulders and he flapped his large wings, sending both of them in the air. "Stay here," Quinn called. "I'll be back in two minutes."

With that, scout and bird flew off. "Show off," Katarina smirked.

Once Quinn reached her home, she rushed to her room and grabbed a fresh dark blue body tight t-shirt and black leggings, quickly changing into them and throwing her dirty armor and undershirt onto her bed. Running her fingers through her hair, the scout looked at herself in the mirror. "I think I look presentable," she shrugged.

"Valor!" She called, and her companion lifted her into the sky once more. Quinn loved the feeling of the wind on her face. It refreshed her, and she laughed, feeling the air whip gently against her, pushing her hair back. It felt like only seconds when she returned to the spot she had left.

The two Noxians were still standing in the exact spot she had left them in. "Three minutes and forty seven seconds," Talon said. Quinn raised her eyebrow as she landed. "What?"

"Three minutes and forty seven seconds," Talon repeated, smirking. "You said two minutes."

"I wasn't literally-" Quinn cut herself off, knowing it was pointless to argue. "Let's just go."

Quinn led the two Noxians to the large home where the Crownguards resided. "So, you guys never told me what you were going to talk about with Garen," the scout said conversationally. Katarina raised an eyebrow. "Whether it looks like it or not, we are also trying to stop the war peacefully. Well, most of us."

"I take it that LeBlanc and Swain aren't going to cooperate with the possible peaceful ending?" Quinn asked, strolling up to the main entrance. Katarina nodded, a disgruntled look on her face. "Basically."

Quinn rapped on the door three times. "I never understood why Noxus and Demacia still hate each other. It's been so long..." She trailed off. A young boy opened the massive door, looking up at the three visitors. "Ar-are you here to visit Captain Garen Crownguard?" he asked, stumbling over the formal words. Quinn smiled slightly at the adolescent. "Yes, we are. Would you tell him that Quinn is here to see him?"

The boy nodded and rushed off. Talon glanced at her. "You failed to mention us."

Quinn shrugged. "Might as well keep it a surprise, right?"

Talon snorted. "Sure."

A bulky figure came down from the spiral staircase that was visible from the entrance. "Quinn?"

Garen Crownguard lumbered towards the entrance. Raising his eyebrows, he glanced at her companions. "Katarina? Talon. What brings you here? My little friend failed to mention that you were here."

Quinn waved off his concerns. "I told him to only tell you I was here."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Come in."

Katarina finally spoke up as the trio stepped into the manor. "Are we going to talk about the war, or what?"

Garen glared at the redhead. "You were never the patient kind," he sighed. "We'll get to it. First, I need to know why and how Quinn ended up with you and your brother."

The Demacian led them to a large room with soft, plushy velvet sofas surrounding an unlit fireplace. Sunlight filtered through the paned windows, giving the room a warm, light feeling. Katarina sighed and flopped onto a sofa and took up the entire seat while Talon and Quinn sat tidily on another.

"Start from the beginning," Garen said. Quinn nodded. "Well, I was sent out to scout Noxus as a mission-"

"Long story short, she got caught by my brother, and we brought her along on our trip here," Katarina interrupted. "You know how much I hate these long, boring details, Garen, can we just get to the point?"

The Might of Demacia sighed. "You always get your way, don't you? Very well, what did you want to speak about? Quinn, we'll discuss this later," he added. The scout nodded. Suddenly she glanced at Talon. "How long are you and Katarina staying here?"

Garen held his hands up. "This is not a hotel where they decide how long they are staying here. I bet that you two have come here unannounced. That's even more risky. You two can stay here three nights, at maximum. Quinn stays in Demacia."

Talon looked as if he was going to object, but said nothing. Katarina nodded curtly. "Makes sense. Now, let's get to the talking. You are for peacefully ending the war, yes? Well, Swain is about to crush that dream. He and LeBlanc have teamed up."

Quinn blinked. "What? Are they just going to full on try to destroy Demacia?"

Katarina shook her head. "The old bird is too smart for that. He'll do this in a way so that most people can't figure out his attacks at first glance. By the time you Demacians figure it out, you'll be dead."

Garen furrowed his brow. "Do you have any idea when he is going to start?"

The redhead sent him a warning glance. "Don't start thinking of different defense tactics. I know they're going to fail. But yes, I have a rough idea of when he's going to begin. He's been planning this for months."

Quinn bit her lip. "Don't tell me..."

Katarina looked at her. "Yes."

Talon spoke up gravelly. "Swain will attack in forty eight hours."

* * *

 **Thanks C. Geng for editing as always.**


	10. Chapter 10

**PROCRASTINATION.**

 **Thanks C. Geng for editing as always.**

 **Chapter 10**

Garen paced the room rapidly. "And you only came to me now? Forty eight hours left, until Swain attacks? Kat, why didn't you come earlier?"

Katarina's eye twitched. "Listen here, Crownguard. I could've not come here at all. I could've left you to rot under Swain's rule, with no warning at all. I came here as soon as I found out, all right? Keep in mind that I could've just told you Swain was coming and left. No details. Are we clear?"

Garen sighed and sat down heavily on a chair. "I'm sorry, Kat, I just...there isn't enough time."

The redhead's emerald eyes softened slightly, and Quinn hesitantly stepped forward and placed a hand on the commander's shoulder. "Garen, we'll figure it out. You've never backed down from a war, have you? We'll win. Katarina and Talon will help, right?" She sent a threatening glare at the duo assassins.

Katarina shrugged and said, "I never liked that bird man."

Talon just scoffed but nodded.

The scout smiled sweetly. "Good."

Garen pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm probably going to be snappy for the next two days," he sighed, "Don't take it personally. Why don't you get some rest? Kat, you know where the guest rooms are. Each of you can occupy one, unless you'd prefer to share with each other."

Talon quickly interrupted before Katarina could speak. "We'll all take separate rooms, thank you," he growled, glaring at his smirking sister.

"Suit yourself," Katarina smiled demurely and led the scout and her brother up a spiraling staircase.

They soon came to a long hallway with multiple doors. "Each of these doors is a guest room. The last four doors are queen beds. The others are all singles."  
Quinn selected the first room on the left, and Talon picked the room beside hers. Katarina raised her eyebrows but slipped into the room beside her brother's. It was one of the rooms with a queen bed. "Wonder why you need a room for two," Talon smirked. Katarina slapped her brother. "One more word out of that trap and I will dismantle it."  
The man just rolled his eyes and slunk into his room.

Quinn sighed. A shadow swooped through the open window, letting in a cold breeze. It was relaxing, as she was only dressed in her undergarments. The wind brushed against her smooth skin.

"Oh, Valor," the scout smiled at the eagle that had entered. He cawed, settling on the end of her bed. "We need to figure out something fast," she murmured, sitting up. Quinn absently stroked her companion's feathers. "Or we won't stand a chance."

"Have a little faith in yourself, Little Bird," a rough voice snickered. Quinn frowned and turned to the darkest corner of her room. "Talon?"  
"The one and only," the assassin stepped out of the shadows. "Why are you here?" The scout asked, suspicious, completely aware of her messy appearance.  
Talon waved his hand. "Kat and Crownguard are arguing in her room, I can't get any peace and quiet. Say, would you mind switching rooms?"  
"In your dreams," Quinn snorted, "I don't need to hear a lover's quarrel all night long."  
"Oh, take pity," Talon said sarcastically. "My ears are going to fall off if I go back to my room."

The scout sighed, "You'd do well in drama class. Come on, you can share with me tonight. I'm kicking you out tomorrow, though. Val, scooch over a bit."  
The bird squawked indignantly before shifting to the other side of the bed, allowing Talon to slide into the sheets.  
"Thank god," the man muttered, "I'm telling Kat to move tomorrow."  
Quinn grumbled, "Shut up, I actually want to sleep so I can think tomorrow."  
Talon smirked. His hands shot out, running up and down her exposed stomach. "Sto-op!" Quinn squeaked. "Oh, you know I'm ticklish, you're just- don't be a bastard, you!"  
She could barely create full, comprehensible sentences. "Your fault for telling me you wanted to sleep," Talon whispered against her ear.  
She shuddered as his hot breath trickled down her skin.

She suddenly had a thought.

Quinn smirked devilishly as she twisted around the face him. He was wearing a pair of shorts, leaving his chest bare.  
She slowly worked her hands up his chest, leaving small chills behind. Talon stiffened.  
Quinn's smooth hands came to rest on the assassin's neck. "How do you like that?" She whispered throatily against his chocolate hair.  
Talon didn't bother her for the rest of the night.

* * *

A heavy pounding on the door startled the scout awake.

"I'm coming in if you don't answer!" Katarina's voice sounded from the door.

Quinn called, her voice thick with sleep, "What do you want? It'd better not be an ungodly hour."

"Some woman you chose," Katarina silently muttered to her brother. Where was Talon, anyway?

The redhead opened the mahogany door and saw a sight to behold. Apparently Quinn wasn't fully conscious, because she and Talon were tangled in a heap of limbs. "Hope you guys didn't try anything funny last night," Katarina smirked. Talon was awake-his copper eyes glinted. Quinn's golden eyes widened when she realized her bed was moving. Beds were not supposed to move. Beds were also not supposed to be shirtless men.

Letting out a small yelp, the scout scrambled out of bed. Talon was much slower, sitting up in the bed and stretching. Quinn did her best to not ogle at the sight. "Relax, Kat, you and Crownguard were so loud last night I couldn't sleep."

Katarina's face burned an impressive shade of red. "We were arguing, Talon, about the war. Not that."

Quinn giggled. "Well, let's get going, I'm starving. And Garen is probably working his head off right now."

Katarina snorted. "Please, he's still conked out on the bed. No matter how diligent he looks, he's not a morning person."

"It's six thirty?" Quinn shrieked as she checked the clock. "That is an ungodly hour."

"I need coffee and aspirin," Talon groaned. "Come on, Little Bird, it's not that early-"

A deadly look overcame the scout's normally innocent golden eyes. She grabbed his loose hair and pulled. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?"

Katarina snickered. "All right, break it up, lovebirds, I'm hungry."  
Quinn released the man, but not without pulling out a few chocolate hairs. "Ow," Talon mumbled. The Demacian had absolutely no regrets.


	11. Chapter 11

**lol I totally didn't look at this story every week and just leave it for like four months...**

 **The beginning of this chapter is what happens when my brother wakes me up on the weekends.**

 **I do not know how long it takes to get to the Freljord from Demacia, but I looked at the map, and they aren't too far away...forgive me if my estimations are off.**

 **Thanks C. Geng for editing.**

 **Chapter 11**

Quinn was still in rage mode as she shooed Talon out of the room. "I need to change, get out." She nearly made the assassin fall over with the force she used to knock him through the door. "Geez, it's only six forty-five..." he mumbled. The scout tensed and her pupils shrunk. Shadows passed over her face as she smiled. "Keep a note to yourself, Talon. Don't provoke me until I'm awake. Last time Garen did that he didn't bother me for months. Go ask him what I did."

Talon slowly closed the door.

Realizing he was still half naked, he swung the door open again. "Quinn..."

The woman was out cold once again on the rumpled sheets. Sighing, the man quickly dressed and grabbed Quinn by the arm, pulling her off the bed. She landed rather majestically on the floor with a loud thump. Her limbs were in a tangled mess with the white blankets that had cushioned her fall.

"Ass." She grumbled.

Talon crossed his arms as he stared down at her. "Get up, Little Bird. I bet you that Kat and Garen are waiting."

Quinn swung her leg out and it made heavy contact with Talon's. He grunted and fell to one knee and was face to face with a murderous Quinn. "You don't rush me. I'll be down there in five."

And thus, Noxus's most notorious male assassin was promptly kicked ass first out of the room.

...

Quinn dragged her feet into the large kitchen. Grabbing the cup of coffee that Talon offered her, she slid into a chair unceremoniously and glared through half opened eyes at the three people before her.

"What. Do. You. Want."

Garen slowly backed up. "Erm, I suppose we should wait until Quinn...comes back to the world."

Katarina rolled her eyes and leaned over the table, her chair screeching backwards. Leveling herself to Quinn's face, she raised her hand and slapped the scout across the face. "Wake up."

Quinn slowly twisted her neck upwards. "I'm awake, thank you," she said crisply. "Let's get down to business."

Once the four were settled on the few couches in a large, sunlit room, Garen began to speak.

"You said Swain was going to attack in less than forty eight hours now, yes?" Garen asked. Talon nodded. "He has everything planned out. He doesn't share them with many, only certain people, such as LeBlanc from the Black Rose."

Katarina nodded. "He did tell me vaguely that we were going to attack tomorrow, but didn't tell us how. Bastard usually tells us only right before the attack, with that smirk. Makes me want to cut it right off his face."

Garen sighed. "We won't be able to defeat them. We may be able to strength-wise, but Swain is always three steps ahead. We're going to need help."

Quinn spoke up. "What are we going to do about Lux?"

Garen's head shot up. "My sister? You saw her when you were in Noxus?"

Quinn nodded. "She...she told me to tell you she loves you."

The Demacian captain ran his hands through his hair as he leaned back in his chair. "How is she?"

The scout hesitated. "She's...fine."

Talon nudged Quinn. "You do know I can see right through that, don't you?"

"Nosy assassin," she huffed. Talon poked her nose. "More like smart."

Katarina yanked her brother away from the scout. "Alright, enough flirting. Quinn, we can all tell Lux isn't fine."

Quinn raised her hands in defense as Garen rose with worry in his eyes. "No, she's actually fine. Physically. And I'm pretty sure she's mentally fine."

"Where is she?" Garen demanded.

Quinn swallowed, suddenly realizing the hole she had dug herself into. "In...uh….Darius's manor."

Veins began to bulge in the captain's forehead as his eyes nearly popped free from their sockets. "Is she being held captive?! How would you consider that fine?!"

Quinn frowned. "Let me finish! She's living there by choice. Lux and Darius are..."

Garen clenched his fist. "No."

Katarina blew red strands from her eye. "Well, Darius has been acting weird lately. Not so obsessed with bloodshed and Noxus these days. I caught him walking 'round with a little brunette, though. Isn't your sister painfully blond, Crownguard?"

"Yes." Came the tight reply.

"She dyed her hair," Quinn said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Garen sprang out of his seat. "I'm not going to sit here and just listen to your stories, Quinn. I do not believe that Lux would fall for such a...brute."

Katarina leaned back. "Crownguard. Sit your ass down. Lux is going to be fine. If Darius really is serious with her, he's not going to let another male hand twenty feet near her. Don't even try to look at the girl, he'll cut your head off on the spot."

Garen slowly sank back down onto the couch, closing his eyes in exasperation.

"Good boy," Katarina said. "Now, you were saying we'd need help?"

The large man nodded. "Yes. And the Freljord may be willing to help. I'm rather friendly with the Queen, I believe."

The redhead's eyebrow twitched at his comment. "She's married, isn't she? To that barbarian?"

Quinn smirked at Katarina's slight jealousy. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure they're dedicated to each other," the scout confirmed. The Noxian relaxed visibly.

Talon spoke up. "That sounds fine and all but how are we going to contact them?"

Garen raised an eyebrow. "You and Quinn are going, of course. If you keep a steady pace, you should arrive tomorrow. That is, if you leave today."

Talon's jaw dropped. "When did you come up with this ridiculous plan?"

"Just now."

The male assassin sighed. He looked at his sister, hoping she would disagree. Katarina shruggednonchalantly. "Not that bad of an idea."

Quinn seemed indifferent as he glanced at her. Talon sighed again at his lack of a way out. "There's no way out of this is there…?"

Quinn smirked slightly. "Am I really that bad?"

The assassin shook his head. "No, just didn't think we'd have to go to the Freljord...alright. Little Bird, let's go pack." He rose from where he sat and sent one last glare to his smug sister as he walked away with Quinn right behind him.

The scout bumped her shoulder against his as she walked a bit faster to catch up to him. "Do you want to travel with someone else?" she asked.

Talon was thinking about saying yes, just to see her reaction, but his heart formed the words before his brain. "No," he said brusquely. Quinn smiled slightly. The pair reached the door and Talon slipped inside, Quinn at his heels.

"It's gonna be one helluva journey, with you coming along." Talon said roughly as they stepped through the wooden frame.

All Quinn could do was laugh.


	12. Chapter 12

**Say it with me-Procrastination! :D**

 **Well, my editor's been afk for a few weeks and I have no idea where he is lol...=w=**

 **This chapter is just useless fluff...help...**

 **Chapter 12**

Quinn and Talon left early the next morning. Surprisingly, the scout was wide awake and not complaining about how the sun was barely over the mountaintops. After a brief goodbye to Katarina and Garen, the pair set off towards the frigid Freljord.

There was a tense silence between the two as they walked, until Quinn spoke. "How are you with the cold?"

Talon shrugged.

Quinn huffed, but stopped her attempts at making a conversation.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. The scout realized this was the first time she could clearly examine the Noxian assassin. His features were sharp, yet soft. His sienna eyes glinted softly. Occasionally, chocolate brown strands flew around his face, before he quickly tucked them back into his purple hood.

The assassin had a smooth gait that barely made a sound, contrasting against the scout's louder steps. When the wind blew, Quinn got a peek at muscles that were...well..."drool worthy", if Lux had to describe them.

Unfortunately, while Quinn was examining the handsome sculpture next to her, his eyes caught hers, and she flushed heavily, glancing away. "Enjoying the view?" Talon teased her gently.

Quinn rolled her golden eyes. "In your dreams..."

"Then I must be dreaming, because I'm pretty sure I saw you lookin'."

Quinn was about to spit out a reply, but Valor squawked from above, landing on the scout's right shoulder. "What is it, Val?"

Her friend screeched again, and Quinn frowned. "Alright, we'll be careful." She kissed his crest and the Demacian eagle flew off again. Talon raised an eyebrow. "What did that bird say?"

Quinn smiled reassuringly. "There's just cold mountains when we enter the Freljord. Val also said to make sure not to end up on the wrong side of the mountain sides. Lissandra and Sejuani live on the icier side. Queen Ashe and her husband live on the other side."

Talon shrugged. "We'd know which side we're on, Lissandra is a cold bitch, and Sejuani is equally as power hungry."

Quinn giggled, her purplish hair flying wildly as the wind grew stronger.

Talon smiled at her rosy face, but shook himself out of it. The two trekked onwards.

...

"It's getting a little colder," Quinn mumbled. She wrapped her arms around herself.

"You really didn't think this through, did you, Little Bird? We're going to the Freljord, and you didn't bring anything warm?" Talon smirked. Quinn narrowed her eyes. "You didn't either. You just have that stupid cloak with blades you wear all the time."

"It keeps me warm, doesn't it?" Talon sighed, noticing that Quinn's arms were wrapping even tighter around herself as they continued their walk. He silently held out his arm and pulled Quinn until the space between them was nonexistent. The scout blushed furiously but acknowledged the fact that it was a lot warmer under his cloak, with two people sharing body heat.

Quinn sighed and relaxed against Talon's chest, breathing in his spicy scent that was all around her. For a moment, Quinn decided to forget that Noxus and Demacia existed. She decided to forget that they were supposed to be rivals, and Noxus and Demacia were about to go to war. Nothing mattered right now, except the man beside her.

She brought her face up to his, staring intently at his lips, afraid to meet his eyes. "Talon," she breathed, "Do you remember the first night, in the woods, when we were on our way to Demacia?"

Talon's breathing hitched. The scout could feel his heartbeat quicken until it was a jumble of _thumps._ "Yes."

"I heard what you said to your sister...I heard everything." Quinn paused, and searched his face for any sign of panic or relief, or any reaction in general. Instead, being the emotionless assassin he is, Talon merely shifted slightly and used a gentle finger to lift up the scout's chin. Sienna eyes met golden brown ones.

"I know," was all he said.

Quinn gaped. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me?"

Talon sighed. "It would just make this all more difficult."

Quinn frowned. "Talon, it would've just made it all ea-"

" _Quinn._ "

The scout stopped. He'd said her name. Her actual name.

His eyes burned into hers. "Being so close to you all the time, knowing that you knew how I felt...it hurts me, Quinn, more than you know. But this can't happen. You said you heard what I said...I'd die before I would ever get a chance with you...a good chance. If I ever did tell you, of my own will...we'd have a pretty shitty romance, huh."

He shut his eyes for a moment, but immediately opened them again when he felt a sharp sting on his cheek. And it wasn't cold wind. Quinn's hand was in the air, her eyes filling with tears. Her golden eyes glistened as she gritted her teeth. "I don't care."

Talon frowned. "I-"

The scout yanked him by the collar and crashed her lips into his. Talon's eyes widened before softening, all of his thoughts a mush. Quinn nearly melted into his solid form and she forced all the feelings of anger and fear she had into the kiss.

The scout pulled away, defiantly glaring at the Noxian. "Tell me that felt wrong and shitty," she said.

Talon said nothing.

"Tell me!" Quinn cried.

Talon's hand went up and brushed the tears that were falling down her cheeks gently from her face, his fingers lingering on her skin.

"Little Bird," he started. Quinn grasped his hand and held it against her cheek. "I'd die...before I'd say that felt wrong."

A grin spread across Quinn's face.

Talon pulled away. "This isn't going to be all fun and kisses," he said. Quinn smiled. "I love reading romantic adventures. I'd hate it if it _was_ just fun and cliche."

Talon shook his head, smirking. "There's no knocking any sense into you, is there?"

Quinn smiled cheekily, pecking him on the lips. "Nope."

 **Oh god, is the cringe doctor here? I need a heavy dose.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Holy shit the new champs Xayah and Rakan are SO adorable T^T**

 **Also, my editor came back to life, so thanks C. Geng for editing Xd**

 **Chapter 13**

Quinn's body seemed a lot warmer now, as she walked next to Talon. She glanced at him quickly, her hair blowing over her face. Between the purple strands she could see that Talon had a slight smile on his face. Relaxing, she leaned slightly on his shoulder and grinned when she felt him lean toward her.

"We're almost at Queen Ashe's castle," Quinn murmured. Talon grunted in response. "Good. It's getting kind of cold. You're not exactly a great heater, Little Bird."

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're not paying me to be," she said lightly. Talon chuckled. "One kiss an hour," he joked.

"Done," Quinn laughed. Her smile flattened out when she looked ahead. "We're here."

Talon frowned at the large castle, which seemed to glow in the blowing snow. "That's a queen's castle alright. Let's just hope we don't get shot down before we get there."

"If we say we're from Demacia, we should be fine," Quinn said.

"I'm not, though," Talon pointed out. Quinn sighed. "You don't have to be so blunt. If you're with me, it should be good enough. Also, don't kill anyone."

"Yeah, because I'd kill someone, in the castle, with hundreds of guards and servants, with two champions who are also the King and Queen of the Freljord," Talon said sarcastically.

Quinn sighed, shaking her head. She continued forward, pulling Talon behind her.

A lone guard stood not far from the doors of the castle, his spear bristling in front of him when hecaught sight of them. "Who are you and why are you here?" he called to them, his spear quivering readily at his side.

"I'm Quinn and this is Talon, we are here from Demacia. We need to speak with Queen Ashe," Quinn replied steadily. The guard frowned at them before waving a hand at them to come inside. "We'll see if the queen will speak with you," he muttered as he led them inside.

Quinn and Talon stood in a large room as the guard disappeared behind large, icy doors. Quinn's eyes wandered around, admiring the icy designs engraved in the walls. She traced a pattern with her fingers, breathing out. "It's beautiful," she murmured.

"It is, isn't it?" A smooth voice rang around the room. Quinn turned, and immediately bowed her head. "Queen Ashe."

The Queen of the Freljord smiled gently. She was wearing a long, blue and white dress that was popularly known as her 'queen' dress. Her crown glinted on her long, teal hair. "No need for formalities," Ashe said. "The Freljord and Demacia are allies now, yes? Though, I'm not sure about Noxus..." She trailed off, casting an uncertain glance at Talon.

"Noxus and Demacia are working together right now," Quinn explained. "Well...some people in Noxus. That's what we're here to talk about. Garen sent us to talk to you."

Ashe raised her eyebrows. "If Garen sent you, it must be urgent. Come, let's talk somewhere private. I will get my husband as well."

Quinn and Talon followed the queen down various hallways. Quinn couldn't help but trace designs along the walls as she passed. As they walked, Talon suddenly laced his fingers through her other hand. She smiled, careful not to let him see her doing so.

Ashe stopped by a servant and whispered something to her before gesturing for the duo to follow her into a room at the end of the hallway.

"My husband will be here soon," Ashe said as she closed the door behind them. "Meanwhile, please, have a seat."

The room was shaped somewhat like a dome and was circular. Red velvet sofas were arranged around a fireplace in the middle of the room. Quinn found it strange that there would be a fireplace in the middle of the room and opened her mouth to ask, but Ashe answered her before she could speak. "Tryndamere wanted the room designed like this. I'm not sure why he wanted the fireplace in the middle. I told him it might as well melt the whole room down. But he said it reminded him of something in his past. He gets all mushy when he talks about it, so I let him be," the queen sighed. It was evident from her tone that she and her husband had that same argument many times before.

Quinn seated herself on a sofa and motion for Talon to join her. Ashe sat down across from them. There was a moment of silence between them before Quinn finally decided to break it. "Forgive me if this is intrusive, but is your marriage purely political?" Quinn asked.

Ashe smirked at her question. "It was. You wouldn't believe how much I hated him when we first got married. But he's really just a sweetheart. Technically the public still sees our marriage as only political, but we know it's more than that."

"That's right," a loud rough voice interrupted. Tryndamere strolled in, his signature sword dragging behind him.

"Dear, what have I said about that sword?" Ashe frowned.

Tryndamere took a moment to think. "I shouldn't carry it around everywhere?"

Ashe smiled. "Yes. Well, if you calling it carrying. You really just drag it around."

Tryndamere shrugged and sat down next to his wife, pecking her cheek. "So, what am I here for?"

Quinn cleared her throat. "Hi."

Tryndamere raised an eyebrow. "As barbaric as I seem, I'm not so stupid that I didn't notice you there."

"We're here to talk about Noxus," Talon interrupted impatiently. Ashe nodded, encouraging him to go on. "Swain is planning to attack Demacia in a little more than a day. Demacia can't defeat him alone."

"Garen sent us here to ask if the Freljord would join forces with Demacia to defeat Noxus," Quinn continued.

Tryndamere frowned. "Last I remembered, you're from Noxus, aren't you?" He glanced at Talon. Talon sighed, "I'm only allied to Noxus because I promised Marcus du Couteau that I would protect Katarina and Cassiopeia. I have no loyalty to Swain."

Ashe hummed at his words. "So…you want the Freljord to join a war that only involves Noxus and Demacia. How does that benefit us?"

Quinn had anticipated this question. "If Swain takes over Demacia, he may as well go for Ionia and the Freljord. If we stop him now, everything will be at peace and everyone will have an alliance. Once Swain is gone, I'm almost one hundred percent sure that Noxus will become an ally of Demacia. There will be much less bloodshed this way."

Tryndamere stroked his beard. "Lissandra and Sejuani have been dormant lately," he mused. "We'd have enough troops to defend the Freljord and fight with Demacia as well. When the two are dormant there are only small raids on the outskirts of our territory," he turned to Ashe.

Ashe sighed, "I hate getting involved in wars that do not affect us greatly. But the way Quinn puts it, if Demacia is defeated, we would have one less ally. Which will lead to other chain events that I'd rather not think about."

"Please don't take too long to debate on this," Quinn added. "Swain is going to attack in a little more than a day and it would take a while to travel back."

Ashe locked eyes with her husband and nodded. "Very well. But if this war goes too far, the Freljord will withdraw and Demacia will be on their own. I highly doubt Swain will come after the Freljord even if Demacia is defeated. But we are allies as I have made a promise to protect and maintain peace. And I will uphold that promise. But do not forget that my people must come first."

Quinn let out a breath and smiled. "Thank you so much, Queen Ashe, King Tryndamere." She elbowed Talon, who grunted and nodded in gratitude. "We'll have to travel straight back to Demacia to tell Garen the good news. I can't thank you enough," Quinn continued.

Ashe smiled warily. "Alright. Let me send you with an escort, please. I wouldn't want you to get hurt on the way."

Quinn shook her head. "Oh, no, Talon is enough of a bodyguard for me. I can fend for myself as well."

All four of them rose from the sofas. Tryndamere clapped Talon on the back. The assassin stumbled before regaining his balance. "Take care of your woman, boy. I know love when I see it."

Talon felt his face heat up and he tugged his hood farther over his head. Quinn giggled and laced her arm around his. "We'd better get going. Thank you again so much."

Ashe chuckled and led the pair out through the winding hallways. Quinn took a few last glances at the beautiful designs on the walls before turning to Ashe. "We'll meet again, soon, I hope."

Ashe nodded. "I have the same feeling Ranger of Demacia. Please send Garen my regards."

"Will do."

...

"That was way easier than I thought," Talon muttered. Quinn rolled her eyes. "What, Ashe is a very friendly person, and so is Tryndamere. What did you expect?"

"I don't know, some yelling involved?" Talon shrugged. "When I talk politics with my sisters or someone, there's always some screaming and hitting."

"We're talking about Katarina, who's a deadly assassin, and Cassiopeia, who's half snake and is a master at poisons," Quinn said sarcastically. "No wonder."

Talon's lips quirked up slightly. "You got a point."

"I always have a point," Quinn said. Raising her eyes to the sky, she mumbled, "Where is Valor? He doesn't like the cold, but we've left the Freljord. He should be around here somewhere..." The scout whistled loudly, raising her arm.

Talon wasn't surprised when Valor landed on Quinn's outstretched arm after a few moments. "There you are, Val," Quinn caressed the bird's feathers. "Did you catch anything to eat? If you got a rat, you're not getting any dessert tonight."

Valor squawked indignantly. "No dessert," Quinn laughed. Valor huffed and flew off. "You'd better come home earlier than you did last time, Val," the scout called after the eagle.

Talon sighed, his hood ruffling in the breeze. "Why does that bird act so human?"

Quinn shrugged. "He's my best friend. What else would you expect from him?"

"That doesn't explain anything," Talon muttered.

Quinn sighed. "It doesn't have to."

Talon opened his mouth once more as if to argue but decided on a better choice. He was silent the rest of the trip back.

...

It was pitch dark when Talon and Quinn returned to Demacia. "I hope Garen's still awake," Quinn said, knocking on the door. "I wouldn't want to wake him up."

Talon rolled his eyes. "It's not like this can wait. We're not planning a dinner party."

The door swung open and Katarina appeared at the door. She was dressed in nothing but a towel chest down. "Oh, you're back," the redhead said casually. Talon sighed. "What if it wasn't us? You'd literally be standing with just a towel in front of a stranger." He pushed past his sister and gestured for Quinn to follow. "Close the door," he called to Kat.

Katarina rolled her eyes. "What am I, five?"

"Sometimes you act like it," Talon retorted.

Quinn quickly interrupted before things between the two escalated.

"Where's Garen?"

Katarina sighed, turning away from her adopted brother. "He's sleeping like a sack of potatoes. Trust me, I can't get him up. And when you can't get a man to get up with only a towel on, he's either dead or in Garen sleep."

Quinn sighed. "Well, Queen Ashe agreed to help. I'm going to hit the showers and sleep."

Katarina nodded. "Good work. I'll tell Garen in the morning."

Quinn glanced around. "Wait, where's Talon?"

"I'm showering first, Little Bird," Talon's teasing voice rang out down the hall where the bathroom was.

Quinn sighed. "Dammit..."


	14. Chapter 14

**I apologize for the long ass break I've taken from writing this summer :d**

 **Also the new star guardian skins? Jinx over Ahri...**

 **/weebalert: Also the OG skins have 5 pointed stars on their uniform and then new skins have 4 but thats none of my business..*casually sips drink***

 **edit: well, my editor said he would edit this asap but it's been like two weeks. so I'm gonna update this whenever he gets back to me. So for now, enjoy this version that has not been looked over by him :d**

 **Chapter 14**

Quinn didn't sleep well that night. All that was on her mind was the war that was going to happen the next day. It all seemed surreal, she smirked sourly to herself as she stared at the dark ceiling. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins and sleeping was pushed to the edge of her mind.

"Can't sleep?"

Quinn rolled off her bed, turning over to find Katarina at the doorway. The redhead was dressed in a black nightgown, but Quinn had no doubt there was at least one knife hidden. "Katarina," Quinn said stiffly. She sat on her bed with her legs crossed. "I thought you'd be asleep."

Katarina sighed. "With what's happening tomorrow, it should be logical that I hit the sack, but I just can't sleep. I'm worried about what will happen to the relationship between Demacia and Noxus," the redhead admitted.

"The assassin shows concern?" Quinn asked mockingly. Katarina huffed. "Well, you know..." she trailed off. Quinn invited her to sit on the bed, patting the soft mattress.

"Aren't you worried about yourself and Talon?" Katarina asked as she sat on the bed. Quinn shook her head. "Talon isn't as dedicated to Noxus as you are. He protects the Du Couteau family and only your family."

Katarina pulled her knees up under her chin. "I guess."

Quinn smiled slightly. She bet that very few people would ever see Katarina this vulnerable. "Garen will try his best to make it possible for you two to be together in public," she said.

Katarina scoffed. "Sure. Noxus isn't exactly his favorite place, you know. He even talk trash about them in his sleep."

Quinn raised her eyebrows. "Have you told him?"

"He's not going to stop sleeptalking," the redhead retorted. Quinn rolled her eyes. "He might feel bad enough to the extent where he'll stop." Her cheeks turned red and the scout burst out laughing. Katarina joined her, wiping her eyes. "Hi-his self consciousness will stop him from talking...in his sleep," she wheezed.

Quinn clutched her stomach and took a deep breath before going down in laughter again. "We should stop," she giggled. "We'll wake up your hunky dory sleep talker."

Katarina snorted but stopped laughing. "You're probably wondering why I'm so loose with you," she suddenly said. Quinn tilted her head to the side, much like Valor would.

"You're the closest thing to another sister I've got."

Quinn blushed. "Talon-"

"Talon is not one who goes around fucking girls," Katarina interrupted. "He will want to stay with you as long as he possibly can."

"Well, what if it doesn't last?" Quinn mumbled under her breath. Katarina raised an eyebrow. "And Demacians are supposed to be positive."

Quinn smirked. "That's just what Lux says. And she's not exactly the happiest person alive, despite what people think."

"I'll file that away," Katarina waved her hand. "Anyway, if you hurt my big brother, you'll find a knife in your bird's throat. It's more painful to you than death, isn't it? Seeing Valor die?"

Quinn nodded. "It won't happen, though," she said. "I won't hurt Talon. Not intentionally."

Katarina shook her head. "Not enough."

"I won't say more because it would be a promise I couldn't keep," Quinn said firmly. "Now I'd like to get some sleep. Good night, Katarina."

The redhead sighed and got up from the bed, pausing at the doorway. She opened her mouth but stopped and walked away. Quinn lay back down on her bed and closed her eyes, sleep engulfing her like the ocean swallows a pebble.

...

"Get up," Katarina hissed, shaking her brother violently. "Talon, get up!"

Talon groaned. "What."

The room was still dark, so Talon assumed it was still nighttime. Katarina's emerald eyes glared brightly in the dark. "Quinn is missing."

Talon shot up and grabbed his sister's arm. "What?" His hair fell in a messy curtain around his shocked face.

Katarina bit her lip. "I was talking to her before I went back to sleep. I woke up a few hours later and checked up on her, because she said she couldn't sleep before. She's not there. The window is open."

Talon swept out of the room, pulling Katarina with him. He stormed into Quinn's room and flicked on the light. The sheets on the bed were wrinkled and crumpled on the floor, but nothing else seemed out of order. Talon examined the bed quickly and his eyes narrowed when he picked up a small feather from the bed.

His hand shook in anger as he stared at the black feather, letting it fly out the window when realization hit him. "Swain."

Katarina put a hand on Talon's arm. "We'll find her," the redhead murmured. "I promise."

"I need to go after her," Talon hissed, ripping his arm away from his sister. "The longer I wait, the farther away she gets."

"Quinn isn't the most important thing right now," Katarina argued. "Swain is still going to attack."

Talon exhaled and was silent for a moment. "Let me tell you something, Kat. I don't give a damn about Demacia, or Noxus. I only worked in Noxus because I owed Marcus and the Du Couteau family. Quinn is one of the people that I care about and I'm not about to let that go."

Talon leapt onto the windowsill.

Katarina grabbed her brother by the chin and twisted his face so that he faced her. "Look at me, Talon. Look at me."

Reluctant sienna eyes met green.

"Quinn would want you to leave her be and save Demacia. You know why? So Noxus and Demacia could live in peace, so she can be with you, so I can be with Garen, so Luxanna can be with Darius. What are you going to do? She'd never forgive you if you went looking for her." Katarina's nails dug into Talon's skin.

Talon tensed. "I don't care what she thinks right now," he spat.

Katarina stared her brother down. "You do. Stop lying, and get your ass back in the room. We'll think about this logically, and we'll save your precious little bird."

Talon ground his teeth but hopped back in the room. Katarina released her steel grip from his face and he rubbed his chin. Raw, red nail marks littered his face. "Get those nails cut when you got time," he muttered.

Katarina chuckled. "Right. Now, I'm going to wake up Garen. It might take a while, try to find anything else in the room."

Talon nodded and the redhead left the room. For a moment he stood there, staring at the empty bed, remembering Quinn's warmth. "Damn," he muttered, running his hand through his hair. He began sifting through Quinn's desk, which was neatly organized. Paper was stacked in the corner, with the ink and quill on top of it. He set the writing utensils aside and ran his fingers over her slick writing that flowed across the paper.

 _I wish I could go home and not be shunned to be in a relationship with a Noxian._

 _I wish you could've met Talon, Caleb. You would've loved him. He's so much like you, but more moody._

 _I wish Talon would love me as much as I love him._

 _I hope we can see the end of this war. Together._


	15. Chapter 15

**Oh god I haven't touched this since August. Woops?**

 **I'm so sorry for leaving y'all hanging for so long D: I'll update more I promise!**

 **Remember to review if you liked it :)**

 **Chapter 15**

Quinn groaned. Her head throbbed and her joints ached. Her throat felt dried and parched; she felt her shoulders burn from being pulled back. It was a familiar feeling; she knew she had been captured and her hands were tied behind her back by a thick, rough rope. Her cheek pressed against cold, hard stone. Quinn wiggled around and sat herself up, slowly cracking open her eyes.

Her surroundings were dark, save for a small light in the distance. From the flickering light, she could make out thick, sturdy, uniform bars that blocked her escape. "Shit," she groaned. Her last memory had been snuggling in her bed at Garen's estate, thinking about Talon. She had heard a faint _caw,_ like a crow, in the middle of the night, and ignored it, thinking it had just been a lone bird in the night. Thinking of that had immediately sent her thoughts straight to Talon again. She smiled, cheeks feeling warm as she thought of the time she had boldly kissed him. It had been their only kiss so far. The scout longed to feel the assassin's warm lips on her own again.

Then everything was blank.

"Agh, shit," Quinn swore again. She pulled against her bindings for a moment, testing its tightness. The scratchy rope tore against her wrists, causing her to wince slightly. Not going to be escaping anytime soon, I guess, she thought, annoyed. She stood up unsteadily, unable to use her hands to balance herself. She carefully found her way to a corner of the dark room, using her shoulder as a guide to trace the perimeter of her prison. It was rather small, and Quinn figured she wasn't going to stay here long.

A loud clang sounded from afar and Quinn's eyes narrowed. A large, looming figure appeared in front of the bars. She spotted a bird on the figure's shoulder. It blinked; it had six red eyes. "Swain," Quinn hissed.

* * *

Valor was going nuts. Talon was covered in dark blue feathers and bandages from small, clawlike cuts. "God, you're lucky you're Quinn's bird, or you'd be roasting and being plucked right now," the assassin snarled. Valor squawked back indignantly, scattering feathers everywhere. "Oh, you dipshit of a bird," Talon cursed, exasperated. He stood up from his spot on Quinn's bed and left the room, shutting the door behind him, making sure the bird wouldn't come after him screeching bloody murder.

He reached the room that Garen and Katarina were discussing in, slinking in without a sound. "Talon," Katarina said, not turning around from her spot on the sofa. Garen continued to study the map in front of him, but glanced up slightly and gave a stiff nod. Talon grunted in response. "We have to be prepared," Katarina continued. Garen nodded. "I've doubled the security in our weaker areas and made sure the King and Prince knows about this. We did not announce this because we do not want the people falling into a panic."

Talon stared at the map, slightly zoning out. His chest felt tight, and his arms felt like they were missing something. The heavy blades on his cape and arm didn't bring him any comfort. Garen and Katarina's voices blended together, causing him to shake his head to clear it. He gazed towards the window, examining the gray clouds that covered the sky. A dark figure caught his eye and Talon's arm flicked out, blades shattering the glass and sending the small figure flopping to the ground with a squawk.

Garen jumped up in surprise and Katarina calmly turned to the scene. Her eyes narrowed as she stalked over and picked up the creature. "It's a raven," she said. "Swain must've sent it."

Talon grabbed the bird by the neck from his sister's hand. He nearly crushed it in his anger, but held back and carefully pried open its claws, picking out a small scroll of paper.

 _Hello Talon,_

 _It appears that the Du Couteau house has turned against Noxus. I will see that your family is properly punished, starting with that cunning serpentress. Demacia does not stand a chance against Noxus, no matter what information you have obtained. The Demacian bird lies safely in her cage; however, in times of need, people of the past have plucked, pruned and cooked avian meat...and I deem to follow that path. Time is running, and her frail heart does not beat for long. Her feathers would look lovely on my wall._

 _XX_

Talon's breathing was uneven and rough. His hands clenched the paper, crinkling it. "Fuck," he snarled. Katarina laid a cold hand on her brother's shoulder. "Talon, stop," she said firmly. The male assassin tossed a blade at full force at the map carefully laid out on the table. It stuck firmly onto the wooden table with a clunk. "Talon, he's getting to your head," Katarina snapped. Talon turned to face his sister. His sienna eyes were mad, pupils shrunken in anger. "I'm going to find her, whether you want it or not. Demacia can crumble for I care." His voice was barely short of a feral roar.

"That's what Swain wants! You fool, he wants you to leave Demacia so we will be weaker. You're falling into his trap," Katarina shouted. Her words sounded muffled, like Talon was underwater. "Garen," she said helplessly as Talon shook his sister off and stormed away. Garen shook his head. "Unless you chain him down, we won't be able to stop him. Even if we did, he'd be more of a burden at this point in time. It's better if he follows what he wishes to do. If he does manage to get Quinn back, or find some information, even better. For now, we just have to make do."Katarina let out a noisy sound of discontent and turned her attention to the map. Talon's blade stood tall, marked point blank at the core of Noxus.

* * *

"Swain," Quinn snarled. The man smiled in the dark. Or, at least, she supposed he did, judging from his tone when he spoke. "Hello, birdie. Seems you've lost your way."

"Go fuck yourself," Quinn spat. "You won't have Demacia. Some of your allies have already turned against you."

"Oh, the assassins were never a part of my plan-I did, however, plan what to do if they did interfere," Swain chuckled. "You're getting ahead of yourself, my dear. Now, come! I have a wonderful future planned out for you." He snapped his fingers and the bars swung open. Quinn didn't move from her spot.

"I'd rather die in here and rot than go with you," the scout narrowed her eyes. "Besides, you'll use me as bait or something like that."

"Ah, clever girl," Swain said, "But that's not even half of it." He held out his hand and a bright red, crystallized claw shot forward and latched around Quinn. The scout pushed against the rock hard material in vain as Swain retracted his hand and the claw followed in suit, pulling her out of the prison.

"Come, my darling, we have much to do," he laughed.


End file.
